Wind and Water
by Number III
Summary: The sun rises and sets with relative consistency throughout the year, as the seasons pass in kind. However, in the timeless gap between realms, there is no such thing to measure time with. So who knows how long I had been there, before I was escorted out.
1. Prayer

**Wind and Water Chapter I: A White Deer and A Prayer**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: Yes, I have changed a few things from canon... if I didn't, you would already know everything about it, ne? I will exercise my creative freedom quite often, though it will usually be within the boundaries of canon. Things that are never mentioned/explained will be my primary target, though I may or may not make a few major changes. I am not sure whether or not there will be any Milettians ('Player Characters') in this story other than the Narrator at this point. I'm probably going to adjust the time displacement centered around Milettians as well. That is, whereas in the actual game, a week is the same amount of time as a year for a Milettian, in this story, I think I'll adjust that to a month, or maybe just drop it entirely. We'll see, ne?**

**The narrator's name is not the same as one of the characters, though they are similar, their similarity is entirely the way, Story of A White Deer is Nao's theme and A Prayer for the Asleep is the field music for the Soul Stream.**

"Speaking" "_Reading Aloud_"

'_Thinking_' '**Telepathy'**

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar_.

"_While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.**'**

**

* * *

**

_Suddenly... I am._

_I know nothing, as I knew nothing._

_I float in an endless white space, chilled to my very core._

'Core?'

_My soul... My soul is numbed by the cold._

_'_Space?'

_Where am I? Where was I?_

_Somewhere other than where I was..._

'I?'

_Who am I?_

_I am..._

_I am no one... I just am... I remember no one,_

_Am I the only one who is in this... place?_

**'No.'**

_Suddenly, I am warm. It is as if the cold never was. I feel a presence, somewhere, in this space..._

_It holds me, embraces me, and draws me to it. Eager to be warm, and reluctant to go back to the cold, I follow._

_Now there is something in this place, a large platform... there is a cross-like symbol on it._

_'Cross? Irrelevant...' Who are you, who also exists in this place?_

**'I am Nao.'**_ I suddenly got the impression that 'Nao' was smiling._

'Nao?'

_You are Nao... who am I?_

**'Only you can answer that question... who are you?'**

_I... I am..._

_A name came to my mind..._

'I am Aeria.'

Suddenly, I had form, two hands, legs, a body, a mind, a heart that beat. I stared at my hands, small and fragile looking, in wonder, and then, from the sky, drifted one other than myself...

This one seemed beautiful to me. Pure. This one seemed to vibrate with kindness and good will... but, in this one's eyes... there was sorrow. One so pure as this did not deserve sorrow. She...

_'She...? A term defining gender... she is female... I am also female... so I must be a she as well.'_

She wore a black dress, made of fine cloth and covered in intricate patterns. Her long, white hair, and pale skin made her seem ethereal in this place, and her deep blue eyes reminded me of the sea... solemn, passive... acceptant of that which has come to pass.

"Hello Aeria... I am Nao, I have been waiting for you... It is my job to guide pure souls, like you, to Erinn."

_'Pure? Erinn?'_

She smiled, a small smile, having anticipated my questions. "Yes, you are a pure soul... You have done nothing wrong of your own will in your life. Whatever you may have done, it was not of your will, and so you have arrived here." Nao paused, letting me take this in, before continuing, "Erinn is a world without death. You can age, to a point, and you can still be wounded, but you will never die. Essentially, it is... or, is supposed to be, paradise."

_'Supposed to be?'_

Nao's eyes looked downcast, but she continued to smile and responded, again, to my unspoken question, "Yes... Erinn used to be such that you would never grow ill, there were no dangers... it was peaceful. But then an evil force known as the Fomors came to Erinn, and they corrupted the natural balance... Erinn is no longer the perfect world, which is why we need the help of one such as yourself, to repair the broken Laws that used to keep evil at bay."

_'Why me?'_

"You already know the answer to that question... You just need to remember it, Aeria. I'm sure you will in time."

_'But... I don't remember anything. I'm so small, and I know so little... How could I help?'_

Nao's smile grew brighter, and it seemed that something about me warmed her. She patted my head, "You will remember, trust me. Are you ready to go to Erinn, Aeria?"

_'Will I see you again?'_

"Of course, I'll visit you on your birthdays until you reach adulthood... And there are several other instances where you might meet me."

_'I am ready then...'_

Nao's smile faced me one last time, "Here... this is a gift." She handed me a small pouch. I opened it curiously, and saw several stones, all of which were glowing faintly with blue light. "If you're ever truly in danger, make a wish upon one of these stones, and I'll come help you... The stone will disappear after you use it, so use them carefully, okay?"

She took a few steps back and rose her hands to the sky. "It's time for me to send you to Erinn. We'll meet again soon, Aeria." When a flash of light obscured Nao's gentle, smiling visage, I was gone.

And so began my journey.

* * *

Character Bios for the Chapter

**Name: Nao Mariota Pryderi**

**Description: A tall, beautiful girl with mystifying blue eyes and long white hair that's held up in a pair of ponytails.**

**Other Information: Nao's job is to guide 'Pure Souls', such as Aeria, to Erinn... It is currently unknown what other tasks, responsibilities, and abilities she might have beyond summoning and sending souls, and apparently crafting said souls' bodies.**

**Name: Aeria**

**Description: As of yet, undescribed.**

**Other Information: Aeria is a 'Pure Soul' summoned by Nao from the vast Soul Stream to save Erinn. She has absolutely no memories prior to her awakening in the Soul Stream beyond her name, and is doubtful of her own abilities, though Nao seems to know something of her past that makes the older girl trust Aeria.**


	2. Dancing Leaves

**Wind and Water Chapter II: Dance of Leaves During Peaceful Summer Days**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: The Dance of Leaves is the song that plays in Tir Chonaill's village proper. The 'Peaceful Summer Days' bit is part of the chapter. Apparently, Nexon's going to sack Eiry after the G13 update, but I like her, so she gets to stay in my story, at least until the (relative) time that she's supposed vanish. If you think Aeria sounds too mature in her narration... remember that she's narrating in past-tense, so this is, presumably, after the adventure has already ended.**

**Ne?- Right?**

"Speaking" "_Reading _Aloud"

'_Thinking_' '**Telepathy'**

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar_.

"_While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

The white light faded from my eyes and I found myself standing on a stone dais, with four pillars around me and an unlit lantern above me. A road led from the lantern to a fence and then down a hill.

I looked up at the lantern, slightly puzzled... The sky was dark, so it was night-time, but the lantern was not lit. I dismissed the lantern as unimportant and stepped off the platform to see a boy standing down the road, by the fence, wearing a helmet. I started walking down the road, and when I was a few steps away from him, he called out to me. "Hey, who are you? You don't look like you're from around here."

I looked at him with my head tilted, confused. He must have seen that confusion, and then he knocked himself lightly on the head, which confused me even more, until he spoke. "Ah! I get it! Nao sent you down here from the Soul Stream, didn't she?"

I didn't know what the Soul Stream was, but Nao did send me here, so I nodded.

"Right, here." He handed me a sword, and I messed with it a bit, before lowering my hand. Somehow, the feeling of the sword's grip in my hand felt familiar, but that didn't make any sense. I had never held a sword before, had I?

The boy ignored my actions and continued, "The weapon I gave you is a spirit weapon. It'll make your stay here much easier, but you won't be able to keep it forever, okay?"

I nodded, but my brows furrowed, and the boy spoke quickly to dismiss my growing concern, "You're worrying about how you'll give it back, right? Don't worry, it'll come back on its own."

Well, that answered one question. What made it a '_Spirit_' Weapon though? The question was answered shortly, as the boy spoke, "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you to the spirit. Her name's Eiry..."

And, right on cue, the sword glowed white and a small ball of matching color shot out of it and span around a few times before coming to a rest in front of my face and taking form. Eiry was a small, pixie-like girl dressed in a white dress that had a pair of orange trailers coming off of it. Her hair was white and tied up in a large pony-tail, and her eyes shone with innocence and enthusiasm.

"Hi master! I'm Eiry! It's my job to guide you in the beginning of your journey here in Erinn!"

Okay... that answered a few questions in and of itself. "My responsibilities are limited to guidance, so I can't promise to be with you forever... but while I'm here, I'll do my best to help you!"

That was reassuring... I had no idea about, well, anything. It made me feel kind of inadequate, seeing as Nao was depending on me, and I had no idea which way was up and which way was down.

I was drawn from my thoughts by Eiry, who hovered directly in front of me with an infectiously joyous smile and bright eyes. I blinked and she floated back a bit, her eyebrows furrowing as she tilted her head and crossed her arms. "Master... Aren't you going to ask any questions?"

'_Ah! She's right, I do need to be asking questions!'_ I thought, and I opened my mouth to ask my first question, "_Where am I?" _But nothing came out of my mouth except a quiet sigh, and Eiry tilted her head in the opposite direction instead... "Master... can you speak?"

And the light lit up inside my mind... I hadn't spoken at all since I gained awareness of myself... And, apparently, I either couldn't speak, or... I just didn't remember how. My brows furrowed again, and I shook my head, closing my mouth. Apparently, Nao had been reading my thoughts somehow, and the boy in the helmet had been guessing what I was thinking. Eiry, on the other hand, was not displaying such abilities. This was a problem- if I couldn't speak, that made it much, much more difficult for me to communicate with those around me.

Eiry seemed to be sharing my sentiments, with her own concerned expression... but she also seemed to be a die-hard optimist, because a moment later she was all smiles, "Well, we'll figure something out, don't worry about it Master!"

I just nodded, hesitantly, '_Right...'_ Eiry floated out of my face, and began to speak, "Well, just down the road is Tir Chonaill. If you go to the Chief's House by the Elder Tree (That's the really big one with the thick trunk, you can't miss it!), then I'm sure Chief Duncan will be able to help us get past your handicap! But first, why don't you stop those raccoons from beating up on the hens? The people of Tir Chonaill need the hens for their eggs, and it'll be a good way for you to get the hang of using me in combat."

I nodded, as, childish as my mind was at that point in time, the raccoons were 'being mean' to the hens... which meant I needed to stand up for the hens. And I did... The moment I swung Eiry at the first hen, it was almost like I had an epiphany. The raccoon jumped at the hen, and I intercepted it deftly, knocking it aside with the flat of Eiry's blade, and sending it flying to the ground where it lay whimpering. Another hen was being tag-teamed by two of the raccoons, so I ran over and, just after the first one clawed a few of the hen's feathers out, I smacked them both over the head with Eiry... I don't know why I didn't use the sharp edge of Eiry's blade... I guess that my child's mind unconsciously knew that would do more harm than good at that point in time, and went against killing blows. The other raccoons seemed to get the message I was sending and ran away, followed by their three companions after they recovered, but my attention was on something that fell off one of the raccoons I had hit.

It was a small, fist-sized piece of paper with a red marking on it. Eiry popped out at that moment and I looked up to her and showed her the scroll, '_What's this?'_

She understood and her brows furrowed again. "This is a Fomor Scroll, the Fomor use scrolls like this to control the various animals of Erinn... it's one of the biggest contributors to the breaking of Erinn's Laws."

Just as I was about to tear the paper in half, Eiry stopped me, "No! Don't destroy it. If you collect nine more of them, then you can earn some money for food, equipment, and other necessities. I think Raccoon Fomor scrolls fetch seven hundred gold, but you have to go to Tracy in the Logging Camp, which is a quarter-day's walk away."

I didn't know how much seven hundred gold was, but it sounded like a lot to me, so I kept the scroll. After all, Eiry knew what to do with it better than I did, didn't she?

I proceeded down the hill, growing weary already... obviously my body couldn't keep up with the actions of the day, or maybe it was just side-effects of my recent arrival in this form. Whatever the case, my arms hurt (I had to use both hands to hold Eiry), I was growing hungry, and it had just started to rain... while I was wearing a summer dress without a cloak or anything else to shield me with.

Fortunately, I came upon the Chief's house relatively quickly and the Chief, an aging man with a strong face and long, white hair, was standing outside. "Oh, who are you?" He asked as I came into view, drenched. "Ah, where are my manners, come inside. Quickly now. You must be extremely cold right now."

I nodded a small, minute nod, struggling to answer his questions as he led me into his house, an arm on my drenched, shivering back.

Eiry appeared briefly, sensing my dilemma, and spoke, "Just hand him your letter of introduction, master!"

_'Letter of introduction?'_ I fished around a bit before Eiry helpfully pointed out a small, unnoticeable pocket sewn into my shirt, beside which the pouch Nao gave me was tied. I reached into it and pulled out an envelope, which was dripping wet, and handed it to Duncan. He took it gingerly and pulled out a letter, which was surprisingly dry, and began reading aloud, "_Chief Duncan, Hello! This is Nao. How are you doing? I'm sorry I couldn't visit you. The person who holds this Letter of Introduction is Aeria... She's from another world, and she doesn't remember anything about her life in her original world. I ask that you take care of her until she reaches adulthood... I would, but I can't leave the Soul Stream for more than a few minutes at a time, and she needs to experience living in Erinn...-Nao Pryderi. PS- I think she's mute... If she can speak, she might not remember how to._" Duncan finished reading and looked up from the letter to me. "Well, Aeria, welcome to Tir Chonaill. I am the Village Chief, Duncan... Hold on, I need to tell the owls your name." He made several motions in the air with his finger, and it took me a few seconds to realize he had just spelled my name in the air.

"Well, no use standing there, and you don't have a place to go to, so come warm yourself by the fire." I nodded to Duncan, it wasn't like I had anything else to do, so I sat down by the fire.

It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep. That night, I dreamed of a stormy day by a river...

* * *

_Above, thunder rumbled ominously and rain poured continuously. I was cold, and wet, and drenched, and water poured down me. Beneath me, the fast rhythm of a well-trained horse threatened to unseat me if I did not hold on, but I held on, clutching the shaft of my weapon tightly. Water threatened to blur my vision, but I blinked furiously._

_Lightning flashed lit up the sky in minute brilliance._

_I turned swiftly to the sound of a carriage's wheels being pulled through mud, and people shouting. My long, white hair blocked my vision._

_Thunder rumbled furiously, trying to overrule a desperate scream,_ "Aeria!" _The word echoed, growing softer and calmer as the sounds of rain and thunder and shouting faded away._

* * *

"Aeria..." Chief Duncan spoke in his kind, patient manner, shaking my shoulder gently. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, absently noting a blanket sliding off my shoulders. The dream faded from my mind as I looked into Duncan's soothing, kind gray eyes. "Aeria, are you alright?"

I nodded, though I was still shaken by my dream. I didn't want to cause Duncan any further trouble, so I pretended it didn't effect me much. But, it really did... For one so mentally mature as I was at the time, that was a frightening dream.

"Are you sure?" He asked, rhetorically, as he stared into my obviously frightened eyes, and I nodded again. "I see..." He said, before smiling, "Well, I'm sure you're fine. Anyway, you're probably hungry right?"

Even before I assert my confirmation, my stomach growled, and I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks. Duncan laughed again and handed me some bread, "Here. This should stave it off for a while until something more wholesome can be found."

I nodded, and Duncan continued, "Now that that's settled, I think I need to show you around Tir Chonaill since you're going to be staying here awhile. Hm... First off, the grocery, since you're hungry."

At my look, he smiled once more, "No, don't worry about paying. You're young, and you just got here. I wouldn't be taking care of you very well if I left you to fend for yourself before you knew how to, would I?" He offered me his hand, and I took it hesitantly.

Eiry appeared and rubbed her eyes drowsily, which raised the question of whether or not spirits even needed to sleep. "Hm? Master, where are we going?" I looked to Duncan, who paid no mind, leading me down the stone steps in front of his house and to the left, where there was a small building with a sign of a portly individual holding a plate of... something. "This," he said in front of the door, "is the grocer, Aeria. Further down the road is the church, which we'll visit later. For now, let's go see Caitin and get you fed, hm?" He smiled, or rather the small, tired smile that was nearly always on his face became more pronounced, and he led me inside. Eiry, who was still hovering at my side with her finger at her chin, thinking about something I couldn't fathom, suddenly made a small, "Oh!" sound and spun around in front of my face, surprising me and making me step back into Duncan, who caught me easily.

"What if we got you a notepad? Then you could write what you want to say!" I blinked... while that's true, and would have to do for now, it'd still be better if I learned to speak normally. That aside, how would I convey that to Duncan?

I brought my attention to the Chief, who was looking at me curiously, probably wondering why I had stumbled. I shrugged and scratched the back of my head in embarrassment, before turning and stepping far enough inside Duncan could follow me. The first thing I noticed was a young woman with brown hair who stood beside the store counter. She wore a light brown dress with a green apron, and her chocolate brown hair framed her face and flowed past her shoulders, accentuating her large, brown eyes and small face. She was standing, with on hand on a plate of steaming biscuits, and the other in front of her mouth in a halfhearted attempt to hide her bemused expression. "And who's this little one Duncan?"

Duncan came up beside me, leaving the door propped open to let the fresh, crisp air you only get on a summer morning after a rain shower flow in. "Just our newest resident. Aeria, this is Caitin, our town's esteemed grocer. Caitin, this is Aeiria, a child who somehow got lost in last night's storm and showed up on my doorstep wet and shivering."

Caitin's expression went from amusement to a genuine smile reflecting kindness, she walked up to me and knelt down so we could be at eye level, "Well, hello Aeria. I'm Caitin... It's nice to meet you." Her hand was out and I took it after a few moments. Her smile was so pleasant, I couldn't help but reply with a small smile of my own, even if I couldn't say, 'It's nice to meet you too.' like I wanted to. When I didn't say anything, Caitin looked to Duncan, whose smile faltered a little. "She hasn't said anything since she showed up. I think she's mute."

Once more, I had opened my mouth to speak, even if I wasn't sure what I would say, but once more, nothing came out but a quiet sigh, and my smile vanished, replaced with a small frown as I looked toward the ground. A hand found its way to the top of my head. It was softer and smaller than Duncan's, and it made me look up to see Caitin was still smiling. "Don't worry, Aeria. I'm pretty sure you wanted to say, 'Nice to meet you too!' ne?" She stood up, removing her hand from my head. "Anyway, what brings you here Chief?"

Duncan's smile was back, perhaps because of Caitin's kindness, "Ah, I was just showing her around town, and the only thing she had to eat yesterday was a piece of bread so..."

"Say no more!" Caitin said, her smile still in place, but... deeper somehow. She reached over to the counter and handed me a one of the biscuits she had apparently just finished baking, "This one's on the house, Aeria." I nodded my thanks, and at that moment I realized how hungry I was and set to devouring the biscuit (which was as large as my, admittedly small, hand). It was warm and soft on the inside, but slightly crispy on the inside, and I smiled at Caitin in thanks. "Well, that's one thing off the list, and a few gold coins I won't have to spend." Duncan said with a note of good humor in his voice, and we were on our way.

Next we visited the church, where I met Endelyon, another kind young woman, but her hair and eyes were a darker shade of brown, contrasting with her pale complexion. She was dressed in a black dress with a white collar, and Duncan said she was a priestess. Mevin, the priest, was also wearing black but his robe didn't have a collar. The priest seemed to be as old as, if not older than, Duncan, though his blond hair pointed to the former, and he was just as kind and knowledgeable. From Endelyon, I received a small white lily, and I was given a small vial of water from Mevin that he told me to soak my valuables in. I had still not managed to speak.

From the church we proceeded down the hilly road to the school, wear we met Ranald practicing under the clear, blue sky on one of the field's practice dummies. His black hair was grown out on the right side, and his face showed a few lines around his mouth. He turned to us and a wide smile nearly split his face when he saw the Chief. "Heya Chief,! What brings you down here?" His brazen voice filled the air.

"Just showing young Aeria here around the town." Duncan said, gesturing to me. "Aeria, this is Ranald, our school's combat instructor. Ranald, this is Aeria. Forgive her if she's a little on the quiet side; she hasn't said anything all day, but she's plenty friendly."

Ranald nodded, eying Eiry with a calculative stare even as he spoke, "Hello Aeria. As Chief Duncan just told you, I'm Randal. Say... You had to use that sword yet?" At my small nod, he continued. "Yeah, I thought as much, you hold it almost like it was made for you. Hm... You should go see Trefor sometime later and ask him about the Smash skill. It might come in handy sometime when you're fighting an opponent more experienced than you are."

I nodded, and Duncan spoke for me, "Thanks Ranald. Now, if you'll excuse us, I'm going to introduce her to Lassar, and then we'll be on our way to the windmill, and then the inn."

"Oh sure, don't let me keep you waiting." He said, and turned back to the straw dummy he had been beating on earlier. Duncan led me across the courtyard and to the main school building and Eiry decided to remind me of her presence, "Well he was nice, ne, master?"

I nodded as Duncan opened the door.

From there, I met Lassar, a short, red-headed woman with a high forehead and sharp, intelligent eyes. She was dressed in a black button-up shirt with a matching skirt and high socks, and told me to drop by if I was ever interested in learning magic. With one of my increasingly common nods, Duncan led me to the windmill where I met Alyssa, who seemed to be around the same age as me. Alyssa managed the windmill, taking care of it and exacting a toll for its use so she could keep it working. We had more things to see, and less time to see them in, so Duncan and I didn't stay to talk with Alyssa too long. She did give me a piece of paper and pencil though, and told me to use them if I needed to say something.

We met Nora, an energetic, brown-haired girl that looked almost a spritely as Eiry, outside the inn, and after some small talk about making friends, and the gift of a small bag that I could keep my things in, we went inside where we met Piaras, a man with a strong face and short, black hair that was parted to either side of his head. "Hello Chief, nice to see you." He peered down to me, where I was standing, the height of the counter he was standing behind almost hiding me. "And who's this?"

"Ah, this is Aeria, I was wondering if you would give her a room in the inn until she can set out on her own. I would house her, but I'm getting older every day..." Duncan replied.

"Don't worry about it." Piaras cut in, "We don't get many travelers these days, so I'll let her stay for free until she's old enough to get a steady income."

Duncan nodded to him, and turned to meet my worried gaze. "And what's with this troubled expression, hm? I only met you yesterday evening and you're already getting attached? I live just up the hill, so it's not like you won't be able to come see me when I'm not busy."

I dipped my chin in a small, hesitant nod and turned to Piaras, who was giving me a reassuring smile. I decided I couldn't win and just nodded once more, more vigorously this time. When my room had been decided and I was shown where it was, Duncan left and led me to the bank, where I met Bebhinn and Duncan established my account for me. After visiting with the dark-skinned, black-haired gossip I was shown the general shop. I didn't actually get to meet Malcolm, the owner, though; Duncan wanted to see Dilys and find out if I was actually incapable of speech, and if there were a way to fix it. And so I was led up road, past the Elder Tree and to the Healer's House. Inside, I met Dilys, a woman with short brown hair and matching eyes. She was wearing white and green healer's robes. Dilys took the time to examine my throat for Duncan, and established for a fact that yes, I was mute, but she also said that she would look into a way to correct the issue.

When Duncan took me back to the inn, it was only about three in the afternoon, perhaps because of Duncan's haste. When Duncan and I parted ways after I stepped inside, I was at a loss for what to do. I sat in my room (a small affair on the second floor with a window overlooking the stream outside and the blacksmith that Duncan didn't take me to visit, for whatever reason. With nothing else to do, I stared outside, watching clouds and birds pass through the sky, absently drawing what I saw on a piece of paper using the pencil Alyssa had given me, as the room had a pair of journals sitting on my desk, a gift from Malcolm, apparently.

Outside, I saw a trio of children at play near the windmill, and watched Alyssa notice them messing around with something on the windmill and chase them off. They gathered up a decent distance away from the windmill, but still within my line of sight, and started playing at swords using a bunch of sticks.

Briefly, I had an image of a pair of knights, faces shadowed over, sparring with another knight, whose face was also shadowed, furiously. No matter what they did, the other knight still managed to beat them off. I was brought back to reality when Eiry popped up in front of my face again, a slightly worried expression on her face. "Do you want to join them, master?"

I shook my head, motioning to my throat. The little spirit got the message, and moved to 'sit' on the windowsill, though she was still looking at my absent expression worriedly. That was when I heard a knock at my door and turned to see Nora walking through. "Hey there! I saw you in the window," she said as she shut the door behind her, "and I thought you looked kind of lonely."

I shrugged, as I looked back out the window. Nora walked up beside me, having noticed my hands at work on the paper, "What'cha drawing?"

I looked at it myself, what had I drawn? The scene depicted on the paper only vaguely resembled the scene I was seeing now. And that was only in the sense both were of a window overlooking something. The drawing depicted a large, expansive city with a flag waving from its position on a castle rampart near the window. The flag had a six-pointed star in a circle on it.

"Wow, that's pretty good, Aeria." Nora said, and I just nodded, staring at it. '_How'd I end up drawing this?_' I wondered, but put it out of my mind as Nora continued, "So do you draw often?"

I just shrugged again, I wasn't really sure. I had just picked up the pencil and paper and my hands started moving. "Right, Duncan said you had amnesia." Pulled out a journal and wrote, 'I wonder if I've been there before?'

After showing it to Nora, she put her finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Hm... I don't know, maybe. I haven't heard of a place like that before, the closest I can think of is Tara, but that place looks bigger." Another shrug, I didn't really expect much. After a while, Nora's attempts at keeping me company faded and she went back downstairs, so I continued to stare out the window, and my hands continued to sketch.

And later that night, when I fell asleep in bed, I dreamed once more.

This time, there were no storms.

* * *

_I was sitting on the pier of a dock. Before me was a vast, gray ocean. Then, my eyes narrowed. In the ocean, there was a small figure, floating helplessly. Closer it came, pushed along by the deceptively gentle waves, until I could make it out. It was a babe, with several locks of blue hair covering her face._

_Without a thought, I dived into the water. I reached her quickly, moving with the ebbing tide, and brought her into my arms. Her heart was still beating, miraculously. Now that she was safe, I started back to shore, the child in my arms, careful to keep her head above the water._

_The current was strong, and something was weighing me down other than the child, but I was stronger still, and I pushed against the tide with all my might. And then, I came upon the rocky beach beneath the dock and pulled the child out of the water. I patted her back forcefully, but as gently as I could, and water escaped from her lungs onto the shore. Now that her lungs were clear, I turned her onto her back to see her eyes open slightly, looking at me, before they shut and she was asleep again._

_I lifted her and set out to the nearby village..._

And so I slept fitfully, embracing my dreams as the night wore on.

And so my days in Erinn began.

* * *

**Ending Note: For the curious, Aeria only vaguely remembers her dreams at this age. I will try to make every chapter this long, but it depends solely on my muse when I'm writing it. Honestly, I could keep writing this chapter, but I figure it's already drawn on long enough.**

**And I didn't introduce Malcolm, Ferghus, and Trefor because, frankly, I was getting sick of typing dialogue between the NPCs that was essentially the same information, again and again.**

Character Bios for the Chapter

**Name: Tin**

**Appearance: A small boy with a metal helmet that conceals his face.**

**Other Information: There's nothing else to say, really. Apparently he's a friend of Nao's.**

**Name: Eiry**

**Appearance: A small, sprite-like spirit with blue eyes, white hair held in a single ponytail, and a near-perpetual smile. She also has a pair of white fairy wings on her back.**

**Other Information: Eiry's job is to provide guidance to her master, and she performs this task with great enthusiasm, even in the face of failure. She can't be seen or heard by anyone but her current wielder, and for unknown reasons can't be summoned by her master to assist in battle, unlike most spirit weapons.**

**Name: Duncan**

**Appearance: An aging man with a strong, lined face. His eyes are warm, and his hair is long and white.**

**Other Information: He's a kind man, and the Village Chief of Tir Chonaill. He also manages the village's lost and found since Tir Chonaill doesn't have a Town Office.**

**Name: Caitin**

**Appearance: A young woman with long, brown hair and matching eyes.**

**Other Information: She runs the town's grocer and is renowned for her culinary skills and well-like for her demeanor.**


	3. Release! Unspeakable Evil

**Wind and Water Chapter III: Release! An Unspeakable Evil; Dreams and Memories**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: I had been hoping for some reader feedback by this chapter, but nothing helpful has popped up thus far, so meh. I've decided on my own to get rid of the time difference between Milettians and the indigenous people of Erinn, but Milettians are still unable to die, able to reincarnate themselves, etc. If for some reason you're reading this and you haven't played Mabinogi, I suggest you either try the game out (it's free to download and play), or look up whatever you feel you're missing out on at the Mabinogi World Wiki. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see Aeria's skills.**

**Unspeakable Evil is the song that plays in Albey (not Alby- that's 'May the Blessings of the Lord be With us!) dungeon. Dreams and Memories is one of Aeria's character songs. Release! is the into song for every character of Aeria's... class in the RP she comes from.**

**Fair warning, I'll deviate from canon in the following chapter. But hey, this is Fan Fiction. I might even make up my own generation to precede G1 involving the dungeons (G1 would start when Aeria reaches adulthood, as Nao states 'until she reaches adulthood' in the letter (word for word). Review and tell me what you think, if you don't I'm going to proceed with my own plans without taking your opinion into consideration... because you didn't give it.**

**And... it gets kind of graphic toward the end. If you have an active imagination, I'd suggest you skim.**

**To Taeniaea: Seeing as you know Aeria's background, I'm pretty sure you're not surprised that the story's getting a bit darker.**

**Ne?- Right?**

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

_**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears in story)**_

**Exposition- Restating the most recent events of the last chapter. **

_'Thinking' 'Telepathy'_

Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

_**Days passed quickly for me, as one blended into the next. Already, it had been a year since I arrived here in Erinn. Today was my birthday... or at least the anniversary of the day I came to exist as I was now. There had been no rain yesterday, but that was hardly my biggest concern. I had noticed more and more dark shadows moving about in the field at night, and occasionally I could hear the dogs in barking. The fomors were growing more active... Fortunately, with a little help from Piaras and Duncan (in which I helped clean and maintain the inn, as well as run errands in exchange for just enough money), I was able to take lessons in sword mastery from Ranald, and basic magic lessons from Lassar. When the fomors made their move, I was determined to be ready... I didn't want to let Nao down. My birthday, which turned into the first flake of snow to a mighty avalanche, began with a dream.**_

* * *

_The girl in front of me, her features blurred and impossible to make out, save for her brilliant red eyes, sat across the room, fumbling with a ribbon that matched her eyes._

_After a while, I couldn't take it anymore and stood up, walking to her and taking the ribbon from her surprised hands. Without a word, I knelt down behind her and started tying the ribbon into a blind-fold around her eyes._

"_What're you doing?" She asked, her voice curious and surprised at my small act of kindness... worried, even._

"_Is it not obvious? I'm tying the ribbon for you." I spoke, restraining a sudden rush of anger and replacing it with compassion and regret._

"_But.. you don't have to do that.. and I can tie it myself..." She continued, trying to dissuade me from assisting her._

"_Do not worry... this is the least I owe you."_

"_Owe me... what?" She asked, and her words seemed to echo into the distance. Suddenly, there was a shout that I couldn't make out, and the sound of glass shattering. I picked the girl up and ran down the great hallway to an open door in the back..._

_

* * *

_

I awoke suddenly and stared around, in a daze. I could remember the dream... I could remember it perfectly...

Eiry chose my moment of revelation to float in front of my face, "Good morning master!" I nodded to her stiffly still dazed, and surveyed my room. It was no longer so empty-looking, as various drawings covered the walls- none of them a place, or sometimes person, I (or Piaras, Nora, and even Duncan) had ever seen before. Duncan had theorized they were places and people from my memories when he and I talked in private about them. It made sense, seeing as not even Piaras recognized them, and he knew more about the world than any other villager of Tir Chonaill except perhaps Duncan.

As far as my memories went, I had continued to have dreams, but I could remember brief moments... seconds at a time. The longest memory I had was pulling the child out of the water. But my memories didn't seem to matter so much anymore, now that I had a few friends and settled into life in Erinn; that is, until I had the dream I had this morning. But I put dreams out of my mind and stowed my curiosity and foreign nostalgia standing from my bed and dressing. I took the time to update my diary and placed it on top of the dresser. I picked Eiry's blade up and sheathed it in the loop on my side. Outside, the sky was turning gray. And, for a moment, I looked at my reflection in the window.

I had long, white hair that was kept in a single ponytail and cool, gray eyes that, with the way they were shaped, and the shine in them, seemed to reflect my near-constant state of insecurity, but they could also be interpreted as showing my determination to improve myself so that I didn't end up failing Erinn. My outfit no longer consisted of the summer dress I had worn before, but was instead a short, brown, leather dress that reached to my knees with several pockets in the front and matching boots that reached about half-way up my shins. Around my shoulders was a gray shawl that had a buckle holding it together at my neck... it reached to my wrists and about halfway down my torso.

I turned from my reflection, moving downstairs to see Piaras manning the counter as usual, "Hey Aeria!"

I smiled and waved at him, before motioning to the door to inform him I was going out. At his confirmatory nod, I started for the door, but paused when he spoke up once more, "Hey, catch!" He tossed a pouch of coins to me, "Would you mind picking up some paper from Malcom for me? That should cover two hundred sheets."

I nodded, and set out, before hesitating in front of the door a brief moment; Nora wasn't standing outside the inn, which was odd. Shrugging, I continued on my way, and it wasn't long before I reached Malcolm's shop, as it was just up the hill from the inn. As I stepped through the doors, Malcolm turned and greeted me, "Good morning Aeria. What can I do for you today?"

I placed the pouch of gold on the counter and pointed to the paper. Malcolm nodded, smiling, "Here we go, how much do you want?" I made a gesture with my hands reminiscent to tracing a large circle, '_As much as that will buy.'_

He took the bag, counted the coins (which were in rolls of ten), and handed me two stacks of paper, "There you go."

I nodded my thanks and carried the paper back down to Piaras, noting that Nora was still missing as I stepped inside. I handed the paper and empty pouch to Piaras, "Thank you, Aeria." Then he noticed my expression was a bit more worried than usual and asked me what was wrong, to which I responded by pointing outside.

It took him a couple of seconds to figure out what was probably bothering me, but he and Nora had grown rather good at interpreting me. "Ah! Nora's out running some other errands for me..."

I nodded, and moved to the door. When Piaras waved me out, I set out to the school. The school was a bit further away than Malcolm's store, but all I needed to do was cross the bridge to Alyssa's windmill and turn right. And so I did, waving to Alyssa who was hard at work with some unknown gear or other. Eiry trailed behind me, unusually quiet. I suppose that she just didn't have anything to say for once.

Just as the school gates came into view, I received an owl. It flew overhead and dropped a small letter in front of me. It was from Ranald. I opened it up and, after noticing the subject, skimmed through it,

'_One of my less experienced students went to Alby a while ago and hasn't come back, could you track him down for me and help him out?'_ Even though I wasn't that old myself, I knew why Ranald sent me the quest. It was because I had been training in Alby Dungeon as much as possible, and knew it very well. Eiry, who was hovering over my shoulder, gave her own opinion, "Oh, that's not good. But master will rescue him right? Because master's gotten stronger."

I didn't respond and hurried into the courtyard where Ranald was taking a break from his, and was supervising several of his students as they ran drills and sparred. "Ah, Aeria, good! Did you get my letter?"

At my confirmatory nod, he continued to speak, "Great, that saves time. Here's a copy of the pass he used."

Once more, I nodded and hurried up the hill to Alby, passing Trefor who gave me a simple nod as I did this often. When I stepped inside the dungeon lobby, it had started to rain. Inside, the lobby was dismal and gray; a stark contrast to its usual vibrant gold, and the torches to either side had been put out. Behind the alter, the sealed door was shut, as usual, but now it had a large, noticeable crack running through its center, whereas it had been a single, smooth slab before. I frowned; what could have possibly put a crack in the large, thick stone slab?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and walked up to the alter, offering it the pass so I could hurry and find Ranald's student. With the small white flash I had come to associate with divine transportation, I found myself in the first room of Alby dungeon. But, again, something was off. The room wasn't lit, as all the torches were out. Perhaps stranger, but not as immediately worrying, was the fact I could see in the dungeon without a source of light. Once again I cleared my head, praying to Morirghan as I passed her statue, '_Please grant sanctuary to my passage.'_

I proceeded down the stairs and came upon a straight hallway. After a while, I came to a room with an open chest. Entering it, I spotted the exit on the right wall, and started off again. And so it went, passing through empty rooms and long hallways without any light or warmth until I came to a closed door. I had caught up to Ranald's student. I placed my hand on the door and, with a bit of focus, found myself on the other side.

Alby dungeon typically spawns four types of monsters when you drop a basic pass: Spiders (usually white and red), Rats, Bats, and Mimics.

It does **not** usually spawn giant red-spiders before you enter the boss room. And it most certainly **never** spawns goblins (1).

But apparently Alby decided to deviate from the norm today, because lo and behold, in the center of the room was a giant red spider, and surrounding it was a trio of goblins, one of which was noticeably injured. In the center of the room, a few feet from an open chest, was Ranald's apprentice, unconscious on the ground. He was still struggling for breath, but apparently the goblin he had injured was about to fix that. Without a thought I ran in and smashed I, sending it flying across the room, but its compatriot nearby (and thankfully not the spider- yet) noticed me and turned to attack, even as I prepared to counterattack.

The second goblin charged, and it was sent flying after it overextended itself for a smash attack, but I wasn't given a chance to rest as the first goblin returned, no doubt attempting to smash me as well. I charged an ice bolt and fired it just as the goblin arrived, stunning it just long enough for me to strike it with Eiry across the head, then the torso, and with a final, heavy blow to the side, it was sent back as well. This time it didn't get back up, but the second goblin returned again, and caught my side with its club. Grunting from the pain as it hit me twice more and sent _me_ flying, I stood up, preparing to counterattack it.

And, of course, it didn't charge. Instead, it raised its shield to defend and started circling me. About that time, the final goblin noticed me as well and shifted into a combat position. It was now a waiting game, and I couldn't wait forever, or I wouldn't be able to defend against the final goblin. The goblin circling me dropped its stance and charged, having grown impatient, and I sent it to the ground in turn. This one was down for the count as well, which left the spider and the final goblin, who decided to charge me as well.

But, as with the last time I counterattacked and was charged, I charged an ice-bolt and fired it into the incoming goblin before attacking it with my sword. A vicious blow to the face, then one to the right shoulder, and a final blow to the left shoulder, and it fell. With the goblins taken care of, I shifted my attention to the spider, charging a lightning bolt and then chain-casting(2) another lightning bolt before striking it with the spell and rushing it. I smashed it and sent it flying, but it recovered quickly and returned before I could raised Eiry to counter attack. I was sent flying this time, impacting the dungeon wall with a heavy thud, and Eiry made her presence known by shouting, "Master!"

I struggled to a defensive position just as the spider came in with its follow up. With a heave showing my wounded, fatigued condition, I blocked the spider's attack, and countered with my blade, slashing its forelegs, once, twice, and now it was on its knees. I finished it off with a blow to the head (3). I turned to the wounded apprentice, who was trying to struggle to his feet. A charged heal spell, and he was in much better condition. He reached to pick up his sword, but didn't follow through with the action. His sword had been broken... All that was left was a small segment at the hilt, and a plethora of shards of various shapes and sizes.

The apprentice was wearing a leather vest with iron shoulder pads and pants done in a similar fashion. There was a large red stain on the right side of his vest and a cut in the fabric to match. On his right arm lingered the remains of a shield's strap, and the shattered remains of it lay nearby. "Ah... this is embarrassing." He spoke scratching the back of his brilliant red hair with his right arm to emphasize his words, then wincing and lowering his arm. "I was saved by someone five years my junior." Indeed he had good reason to be embarrassed; he was sixteen, I was eleven, and I had just defeated the monsters he failed to, however he had also cleared all the previous rooms and was in a much worse state. "Anyway... I'm Sert, short for Sertelein(4). You're... Aeria, the girl who never says anything, but shows unexpected talent in practice, right?"

I nodded as I charged another heal spell, curing more of the various bruises covering his body and closing his cuts, though a few, such as the one on his side, didn't heal completely. "Ah... Ranald's going to be mad at me. Not only did I fail to complete the dungeon he assigned to me... but you got beat up saving me." I shrugged, charging one final heal spell and curing the few bruises the spider had given me.

Eiry appeared beside my head, "Master, that was more difficult than usual..." I nodded to the spirit, much to Sert's confusion, before I pulled out my conversation journal and began writing, showing the text to Sert when I finished. He squinted as he read the text.

'This is not the usual Alby dungeon... The torches have all been extinguished, and Alby never spawns goblins... On top of that, a giant spider is a bit much for the pass you were given.'

"What? You mean this isn't the dungeon Ranald assigned me?" He asked incredulously, "I killed all of those goblins, spiders, werewolves, and mimics for nothing then?"

I nodded.

"Then... we should probably leave, right?" He asked.

That was when I noticed the locked doors hadn't opened when I killed the spider. Well, I noticed because a trio of gray werewolves spawned... not because of Sert's question. "Seriously!" The teen exclaimed as he pulled a dagger from his belt. Without a word, not that I could produce one anyway, I charged a lightning bolt and fired at the werewolf closest me, which had shifted into its own battle posture and began moving to me. It recoiled from the strike, but it didn't seem anywhere near as fazed as it should have... but thanks to the lightning, I had time to counter the blow of a second werewolf, sending it flying into the air, only for it to flip and land on all fours before standing up (5), obviously ignoring my attack.

'_This is shaping up to be a long, hard fight._' I thought as the third werewolf charged Sert, only for the teen to flip it over his shoulder and into the wall (5), stepping back as he did so. My attention was drawn back to my own fight when the first werewolf got tired of waiting and charged me. It made a swipe, but I side-stepped it (5) and hacked its neck from behind, knocking it to the ground. Even though my opponent fell, though, it was barely wounded... Saw its ally coming from the side and Evaded... to end up behind the werewolf Sert flipped as it charged him from his position against the left wall. I got to my feet as quickly as I could and stepped in front of the werewolf, blocking its first blow with Eiry, before taking the second blow and being knocked back, a vicious, bleeding gash in my left arm.

With a cry of rage, Sert moved in and shoved his dagger as far as he could into the werewolf's forehead as it pulled back. But, this meant Sert was weaponless, even though one werewolf was dead; I was nursing a grievous wound, and the other two werewolves were advancing on us slowly, knowing that we were incapable of fighting back... or so they thought as I charged a fire bolt, and then chain-cast two more painfully as the werewolves bid their time. The first reached striking distance of Sert who had shifted into a defensive position, and I fired the bolt at it, knocking it back and giving it a nice, second-degree burn on the chest. It howled painfully, clutching its wound as its companion, enraged, charged Sert. Sert, who couldn't dodge its attack because I was heavily injured, prepared himself to act as a human shield for me when I did something I never thought I'd do.

I shouted, though it was more of a scream with no syllables, so deep that it gave even the werewolf pause. Sert turned to me, and I motioned to Eiry as I charged a lightning bolt. Comprehension dawned on Sert's face as he hurriedly crouched down and lifted Eiry, turning around just in time to see the werewolf be struck by my lightning bolt while it was mere inches away from carving several canyons into his face. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Sert pushed Eiry between the werewolf's ribs, stabbing its heart. The second werewolf approached, and Sert tore Eiry out, her victim sliding to the floor in a bloody mess, just in time to slit the final werewolf's throat. As the werewolf fell to the ground, clutching its throat, Sert impaled it, as well, to make sure it died before it could do any more damage. As he, covered in blood, turned to me, I blacked out. This dream held none of the warmth I felt from the first.

* * *

"_Who did this? Not only kill but mutilate the bodies, that is no way to fight. Only a beast, a monster or an oni would do such a thing."_ _These words echoed in my ears, as if from a great distance, as I spoke, thinking only of what the small girl in front of me had just said, "You smell like blood... are _you_ okay?"_

"_You can smell blood?"_ _The girl, wearing a red ribbon around her eyes, unkempt blonde hair a mop on her head, and dressed in tattered clothing nodded. And I looked guiltily to my armor, which was stained in several places, and my blade, which dripped precious life-mercury._

"_Why do you owe me?" She spoke, and I felt glad that she could not see me._

_I responded, my voice holding none of the regret and sorrow I felt, "Because I did not find you sooner..." I turned from the girl's covered face and surveyed a horrible scene... before me were the broken windows of a church, annd beyond them lay a small army of brutalized soldiers that two men were working to bury, one of which was glaring at me fiercely._

"_I have shed blood in the house of My Lady... I have fallen to their level." My heart held such bitterness... such anger... that I wanted to explode. Anger toward the soldiers, anger at their commanders, at their country... anger toward myself._

_

* * *

_

I awoke, shivering, to find Sert sitting across a campfire from me, his tunic still stained red, and his eyes regretful... but instantly they recovered the innocent enthusiasm I had seen before. "Ah! You're awake! Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?"

I nodded hesitantly, still shivering from my dream. Unlike most of my other dreams... I remembered that one vividly. As vividly as I remembered the one from this morning... In fact, it was the same girl in both dreams... My attention was drawn from my dreams to Sert as he spoke, "Hey... did you have a nightmare?" At my small, reluctant nod, he leaned back, "Geeze, you're really a kid after all..." He paused, "You want to talk.. er... write about it?"

I shook my head, trying to push the dream from my mind, but it still hung there, like an ever-present cloud on my thoughts. I stood, and noticed that my left arm was stiff. I looked at it to find that it was wrapped in bandages. "Ah! I patched your arm up as best I could, but I'm no expert..." I shook my head before looking for Eiry, as she was not at my side. I found her hovering around her medium (6), which was lying between Sert and I, the blood wiped off. I blinked, and suddenly Eiry was right in front of me, "Master!" she exclaimed, hugging my nose, "I was so worried! You were so hurt... and there was blood... and you've never been hurt that badly before... and... and... You're alright... right?"

I nodded, smiling slightly at Eiry's antics, before looking to Sert who was watching with amusement. Wait, what? I looked at him and tilted my head, before looking to Eiry.

"Ah!" he spoke, "I've been able to see her since I picked up the sword... She's been bugging me about your condition this entire time." Eiry seemed to take offense to this, "Of course I would Second! Master was really, really injured!"

"Hey! Second? My name's Sert!" The teen replied indignantly, and Eiry elaborated. "You're my second master, since you took the sword from Master. I can't call you both Master, so I call you Second." As reasonable as that sentence sounded, Eiry said it in such an annoyed, bratty manner it sounded insulting... and her sticking her tongue out and giving Sert the red-eye didn't help any. "Why you-!" He started, only for me to clap to get their attention.

"Hm? What is it Master?" Eiry asked me, her demeanor doing a complete one-eighty as Sert watched me right in my journal. I lifted it up and Eiry read it aloud, 'Shouldn't we be leaving the dungeon?' I tested my left arm experimentally as Eiry read... it was stiff, but that was because of the tightly-wrapped bandages. I stowed my book in the pocket on my chest as Sert explained, "Well, I would have carried you out but... Only one of the doors opened, and- Hey! What are you doing?" He shouted and pointed at me accusingly.

I paused from unwrapping my left arm and tilted my head in confusion, before finishing and allowing the bandage to drop off and reveal my unmarked arm. "Wha-what? That's impossible!" He said, "You should be recovering from something like that a week... a month from now!"

I shrugged, I had always healed this fast, and Eiry spoke my thoughts aloud, "Master has always healed this fast!" She said proudly. "She's the strongest Master I've ever met!"

I shrugged again, it wasn't as if Eiry had met many Masters of spirit weapons (7). "But-but-but..." Sert stammered before sighing and accepting it, "Ah, whatever. Just be careful... Just because you heal fast..." He left his sentence hanging, "Anyway, as I was saying, I would've carried you out but..." He gestured to the right, and I turned to see the door we entered from, shut and locked.

Without another word, I stood and started for the other door. "Hey, what are you doing?"

I wrote in my journal as I passed through the door, Sert close behind me. Eiry read it aloud for me, "_If we can't leave the way we came, we have to finish the Dungeon._ Master says."

"But... Ah, man, I suppose you're right." Sert slumped his shoulders in defeat, "We don't have enough food and water to last until Ranald sends someone else in... if he doesn't come himself after both of us went missing."

I simply nodded and came to a stop in front of a large door with a giant padlock on it. To either side of it was a switch.

"The boss room! Who'd have thought it was this close? Now all we have to do is kill the boss..." It was then Sert took note of his battered armor and lack of weapons. "But then again... that might be easier said than done in this state."

I shrugged again, what choice did we have? I placed my palm on the switch to the left, and it lit up a brilliant crimson. To the sound of heavy wood grating across stone and thick steel chains hitting the floor, the door opened inward. I squinted my eyes, as apparently the interior of the room was much brighter than the hallway. When the light cleared, I sighed.

The boss room was gold and lined with lit torches, with another large door on the opposite end. In the center of it was a platform housing a statue of Morrighan... that was missing its head. Clinging to the statue was a lean, black figure with long claws, horns, and a tail housing a cruel looking blade protruding from behind it. It roared at us and unfurled long, black wings that were wide enough to block entrance to the door if it were standing in front of it. The creature yanked the stone sword from its place in Morrighan's hands and took to the sky, hovering above the statue and holding the large, stone blade that was as large as it with one hand (8).

'_This is just one of those days, wasn't it?_' I remember thinking as I shifted into a defensive posture.

That was when the boss let out a blood curdling screech and charged a Fire Bolt. With a soundless cry, I was sent flying back into Sert, who caught me and set me down as I pulled a health potion from my bag and drank it.

"Aw geeze." He spoke, helping me to my feet and drawing his dagger. "How are we going to hit that thing?"

In response, I sent a lightning bolt into it. The creature bent over, stunned, and fell to the ground, where I rushed toward it. Unfortunately, it recovered before I reached it and spun on its hand, knocking me off my feet with a windmill kick. Sert ame in from behind and charged it with his dagger as it was recovering, but its tail lashed out lightning-fast and knocked Sert back. This was not going well. I stood and began charging an ice bolt as the monster took to the air. It started to charge a spell of its own, but mine was faster and I pelted it with the icebolt, charging another one immediately afterward and pelting it again as it persisted in trying to charge its spell. The creature gave up on its spell and dived toward me instead, sword out in a stabbing position.

I evaded the attack, but barely, and Sert dashed onto the creatures back as it recovered and took to the sky once more. I watched, charging an ice bolt and chain-casting two more as Sert clung onto the monster as tightly as he could while the monster attempted to shake him off. The game ended when Sert slammed his dagger into the thing's right temple, and the creature screeched again, shaking its head with the dagger stuck into it and finally dislodging Sert who fell to the ground with a mighty 'Ooph!' I fired my ice bolts into the distracted monster as it fell before charging a heal spell and rushing to Sert's side, healing him. My spell barely healed anything, and I charged another, restoring some color to his face. His eyes cracked open and he gave me a lopsided grin, "Ih dead Aera?" He spoke, his voice slurred. No doubt he had a mild concussion (at the least), but at the time I was just happy he was alive. I looked to the monster, where it lay on all fours, writhing in pain as it clutched wildly, its tail lashing out at random.

The small I gained after seeing Sert was still alive when the monster pulled the dagger out and smashed it into the ground, breaking it. The boss stood up to its full seven feet, five inches height and roared at me, grabbing the stone sword from nearby and hefting it with its hands. Eiry summed up my feelings nicely, "Aw come on, that's not fair!" she shouted in dismay as I raised her blade into a defensive position, standing in front of Sert who was watching the fight, shock and horror clearing his mind.

That was when something unexpected happened. Ranald and Trefor charged into the room, both holding a claymore nearly as long as they were. Ranald spotted us quickly and shouted out, "Trefor, see to the young ones." The stoic appearing guard nodded and hurried over to us.

"Are you alright?" He asked, keeping a wary eye on Ranald as he charged the monster, which turned at incredible speed and parried the veteran swordsman's blow. I nodded and pointed to Sert, and Trefor understood quickly, pouring a health potion down Sert's throat and offering a phoenix feather to the goddess to save him. Sert recovered, getting to his feet, though he was still dizzy and Trefor needed to support him.

The entire exchange, however, was barely noted by me. I was watching Ranald and the boss battle with apt fascination. The monster knocked Ranald back, but instead of being sent flying, Ranald parried the blow and jumped, allowing the blow to push him. He landed on his feet and charged the monster again, meeting cold stone with cold steel in a furious exchange. The monster pushed Ranald back again and hovered in the air, before crashing to the ground and _shaking it._ Ranald didn't fall over, but he had to lower himself into a crouch and use his claymore to steady himself.

The monster rushed Ranald and the swordsman brought his blade up to parry the monster's strike, but he was at a disadvantage. The monster, with its own significant weight and height, had even more leverage on the human who was kneeling on the ground.

I couldn't take it any more. The fomor continued to press Ranald, but Ranald held on. I charged a fire bolt and fired it at the monster, which was struck and knocked back, allowing to Ranald to recover. He sent a brief look my way as he charged the monster, but I didn't notice as I was already concentrating on charging a lightning bolt. The monster tried to kick Ranald, but I struck it with my lightning bolt, and Ranald sent a vicious blow to the things neck as it was stunned, but its tail blocked the blow... and cracked Ranald's sword in half.

The swordsman backed away in shock at his blade being broken, and Trefor charged in, parrying a blow that would have put an end to Ranald. I hit the fomor with another charged lightning bolt and it recoiled, giving Trefor time to hand Ranald his secondary weapon, a bastard sword.

Ranald took the weapon gratefully and stood, blocking the fomors retaliatory strike. The monster was at a disadvantage now, and it knew it. With two well trained swordsmen in front of it, and me providing support with my magic, it was fighting a losing fight.

It did something we never thought a fomor would do in a fight... It ran away, vanishing in a cloud of black mana.

I collapsed, my body quivering from exerting itself, and Sert put a pair of comforting hands on my shoulders as Ranald and Trefor turned back to us, cursing at the creature's escape. Before they could even take a step toward us, I blacked out again, exhausted both physically and mentally.

The last thing I heard was a chorus...

"Master!"

"Aeria!"

* * *

_"Aeria!"_

* * *

**End Notes: I don't care to calculate her level, and it wouldn't really be used that much anyway. Please let me know if T is too low, by the way.**

**1:) Alby _Beginner_ and _Normal_ do not spawn Giant Spiders outside the boss room. A few other passes do. However, Alby _never_ spawns goblins. The closest it does come to spawning goblins is the humanoid spiders.**

**2:) Chain-Casting: Essentially, it's charging another bolt again. You can chain-cast up to 5 bolts.**

**3:) No, this doesn't actually happen. But realistically speaking, slashing the tendons of the spiders legs would cause it to falter, and stabbing the head would kill it, making this a very efficient way to take it down. On that note, Aeria shifts from 'Stun' to 'Kill' whenever someone's in danger other than herself.**

**4:) As far as I know, his name is absolutely meaningless. Aeria, on the other hand, comes from the Latin word Aer, meaning Air (curiously, this is the name of the Water Spirit NPC in the game. That's not why the story's called Wind and Water, by the way). Most Mabinogi NPCs are named after characters from the Celtic Mabinogium, as well (go figure). And he's a made-up NPC (Tuatha da Danin, or something like that) based loosely off the 'troublemaker'.**

**5:) Again, as far as I know, this doesn't actually happen.**

**6:) For those who can't guess, her medium is the short sword.**

**7:) Aeria's the first Milettian to enter Erinn.**

**8:) This is a made-up monster. Its stats are below.**

**Aeria's Skills**

-Combat Mastery

-Evasion

-Dash

-Sidestep (Made up skill. Self explanatory)

-Smash

-Defense

-Counterattack

-Whirlwind

-Magic Mastery

-Icebolt

-Firebolt

-Lightning Bolt

-Heal

-Rest

-Play Dead, but it's technically not a skill.

**Sert's Skills**

-Combat Mastery

-Smash

-Defense

-Counterattack

-Dash

-Rest

-Play Dead

**Demi**

HP- 15,000

MP- 20,000

Damage per Hit- 50-100

Speed- Very Fast

Detection Range- Very Far

Aggro- Multi

-Heavy Stander (Level Two)

-Magic Deflector (Level One)

-Natural Shield (Level One)

-Instinctive Reaction

-Smash

-Counter Attack

-Fire Bolt

-Lightning Bolt

-Windmill

-Flight

-Battle Dive (Made up skill. You can guess what it does.)

-Stomp


	4. Down a New Road

**Wind and Water Chapter IV: Every Time you Start Down a New Road**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: Every Time you Start Down a New Road is a quote from the chapter, as well as an original character's theme. Sorry about last chapter, I kind of went on and started the original plot arc anyway... got kind of carried away lol. If you like the story, then I'd like you to do one of two things: Review or put this on your Story Alerts list. That way, I know you like it, or at least find it interesting enough to pass time reading.**

**Ne?- Right?**

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears in story)**

_'Thinking' 'Telepathy'_

Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

**I collapsed, my body quivering from exerting itself, and Sert put a pair of comforting hands on my shoulders as Ranald and Trefor turned back to us, cursing at the creature's escape. Before they could even take a step toward us, I blacked out again, exhausted both physically and mentally.**

**The last thing I heard was a chorus...**

"**Master!"**

"**Aeria!"**

**And then I blacked out.**

* * *

"_Wrong!" I shouted, knocking the knight in training's sword from her hands,. "You swing the blade with your arm..." I turned, and parried another trainee's weapon, before striking it again and disarming that trainee as well, "but the power behind it comes from your heart!"_

_The trainee sighed, reaching down to pick up her practice sword and lifting it, removing her helmet to allow her to see her surroundings better... it was an attempt at mimicking me I thought. She charged again, and I blocked her blade, staring into her clear, blue eyes that were partially hidden by several locks of the same color. She broke away and her comrade came in from behind, but I parried her sword as well, "You don't," I pushed, knocking the blade I was locked on out of its wielders hands, "have enough," I turned around, stopping with my own blade inches away from the blue-haired trainee's neck, "heart!"_

* * *

I awoke to find myself being carried piggy-back by Ranald.

"But really, thanks Ranald! If you and Trefor hadn't come along, we would have been done for!" Sert spoke from behind me and to the right. _'Thanks Aeria!'_ I blinked, confused as there was no one else there. Maybe it was a memory resurfacing?

"She's awake." Trefor noted from behind me and to the left. "Oh?" Ranald spoke up, turning his head to the left and looking me in the eyes, "how're you doing, Aeria?"

I nodded reassuringly, even though I was still sore. "That's good." He spoke, before turning ahead and moving on. "So Sert tells me you took on two goblins at once, twice in a row, and then a giant spider immediately afterward. Not only that, he also says you managed to hold your own against a pair of gray werewolves for a little while. I'd say you've improved a lot..."

I shrugged, I just did what I had to do. "Don't be so modest!" Sert cut in, "You were amazing! Even in the end- if you hadn't hit that... whatever it was with your spell, Ranald might not be here right now."

I shrugged again, and Eiry looked at me closely, "I think Master's still tired..." She turned to Sert, "It's because Second's too loud! You woke her up early!"

"What?" Sert cried out indignantly, "I did not!" Ranald and Trefor had stopped walking and were both looking at Sert oddly.

"You should have Dilys check your head out, Sert... I don't think you're concussion's healed up entirely." Ranald spoke up, and Trefor nodded.

"What? No! It's her fault!" Sert spoke in his own defense, pointing at Eiry... who had moved so that, to Ranald and Trefor, it looked like he was pointing at thin air.

"I'm sure..." Ranald spoke dryly, before continuing on down the path. "Trefor, make sure he sees Dilys."

"What? But-but-I healed up fine!" Sert cried out as Trefor dragged him off to Dilys, Eiry giving him the red eye as he vanished from view. "As for you," Ranald spoke, his voice clearly directed at me even though he was facing ahead as he took me toward the inn. "you pushed yourself a bit hard there, didn't you? Some of that was pretty reckless."

I shrugged, and Ranald continued, his tone changing drastically, "but if you hadn't done it, Sert might not be here... _I_ might not be here... So I'll let you off this time. And... here we are!" He said, setting me down gently in front of the inn. I nodded my thanks, and he smiled, giving me a thumbs-up sign, "Good job, Aeria. See you later!"

I nodded and stepped inside... watching him from the door. His relaxed, happy demeanor vanished as soon as he turned around. Obviously he was worried, and putting up a front. "Hey Aeria, you look a bit roughed up." Piaras said from behind me, and I turned swiftly to see him standing in front of me, arms crossed (2). I had the decency to look a little sheepish as I looked down, but to my relief, Piaras just put a hand on my head, "Go get cleaned up, kiddo, I'll be here, as always."

I nodded and went upstairs to bathe. As I washed, I couldn't help but think back on how Alby had been darker than normal... and the unknown fomor... the broken statue... and most of all, the dreams I'd had today. When I finished and settled into bed, sleep did not come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw images from my day. Bloody corpses, of human and fomor, the broken statue, and those eyes... The crystal blue eyes, deep as the ocean, and the red eyes, as vibrant as hot fire... but dim, as if they were merely warm coals... Every time I closed my eyes, if I saw no images, then those eyes stared at me.

I opened up my window, and stared up at the moon, where it was half-full. '_Staring at the moon again, moon-gazer? Do you think she's staring back?'_ I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, and then I heard it. Among the howls of wolves, and chirping of crickets and croaking of frogs, someone was singing. Hurriedly, I put on my boots and shawl and hurried outside wearing nothing but my nightgown and shawl, ignoring Piaras' exclamation as I went out the door. I walked up the hill to find Nora singing in front of a pair of graves.

Before I could do anything to draw the inn-girl's attention, I head fabric shift behind me, and I felt a cool, gentle hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Nao looking down on me with a small smile on her face, and a finger held in front of her lips. '_Nao!'_

"I'm sorry I'm so late, Aeria... but happy birthday!"

'_Nao... Alby dungeon was weird today, and the boss was a fomor that no one's seen before._'

Nao's gentle smile faltered slightly as she looked up toward Nora, singing in front of the graves, "The seal holding back the fomors has weakened significantly. Not even I know why, and Morrighan is... out of reach."

I frowned, '_I thought that the seal would hold for another seven years.'_

Nao turned back to me, her smile sad, "So did I. So did Morrighan... It looks like you won't be able to grow up normally like we had planned. I have to go now... but you should talk to Duncan about the Sealed Doors, and remember... You're not alone this time, either."

'_This time?'_ I questioned her, but Nao didn't respond and faded from sight, making me wonder if she had really been here. That was when an owl dropped a small package into my lap with a note attached to it.

I almost forgot to give you your birthday present!

-Nao.

Opening it, I pulled out a small golden ring torc that had another note from Nao tied to it. 'This torc is enchanted to absorb some of the damage you take (no matter where you're hit). Don't worry about outgrowing it, it's also enchanted to grow with you.' (3)

I took the note of the torc and placed it in the pouch before examining the torque. The front of it was open ended, so I pushed the open ends apart... which was surprisingly easy, by the way, and placed it around my neck, taking care to ensure that the string Nao's first gift was tied onto my neck with didn't get pinned under the torc. That was when Nora stopped singing and noticed me standing there. "Aeria, what are you doing up at this hour, and in the graveyard no less?" She spoke, walking away from the graves and toward me.

I pulled out my notebook, but before I could start writing, Nora answered herself, "Ah, wait! You couldn't sleep, and you heard me singing, ne?" She finished smiling.

I nodded. "Are you wondering why I'm singing in the graveyard?" At my nod, she shrugged, "Well, I suppose anyone who doesn't know the story would wonder at it."

"You see... Shortly after I was born, my mom died, and my dad died from a disease before I could really remember him. So, Piaras raised me at the inn, where I greet the various travelers that come by here. And then, I met you, and you've kinda become the little sister I might have had if my mom hadn't died."

I didn't know what to do to respond to that, so I just stood that, and Nora patted my head, "You're too serious, Aeria! You're just a kid, remember? Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

I nodded hesitantly, before pointing to the roof of the inn peaking out over the hill. "You're right," she said, "We should probably head in, ne? Come on."

Nora led me down the hill, away from the graveyard, and I looked back at the graves. Idly, I wondered if I had any family in the life I led before Nao pulled me from the void. Did I grow up with them... or did they die, the way that Nora's parents died, without leaving anything other than me behind? I shook me head in an effort to clear my thoughts, and realized I had stopped walking when I saw Nora several steps down the path, looking at me curiously. I hurried up to her side, "What took you? Usually you outpace me easily." She teased, and I shrugged, not willing to take the time to answer her, or tell her what I had been thinking about.

"There you are!" Piaras said when I stepped through behind Nora, "Geeze! I go worrying when you charge out the door, and it turns out that you went up to the graveyard to see Nora, didn't you?"

I nodded sheepishly. I had been a bit hasty, for little to no reason. "Ah, whatever. It's getting late, so you should go up to bed."

And so I did, walking up the stairs and to my room at the end of the hall. Or, I tried to, anyway. I stared out the window from my bed, listening to the howls of wolves in the fields. It was a long time before I fell asleep.

"_You know Aeria, you're not alone anymore."_ _A woman behind me spoke, but I didn't turn around, watching smoke rise from a burning village below me._

"_Be that as it may..." I spoke, "Stay here while I deal with him. If you were to be injured, let alone die, I would never forgive myself."_

_Before my companion could respond, I dashed toward the village. It was not long before I came across my adversary, a man with tanned skin, wreathed in flames. He finished setting fire to a house and turned, smiling a manic smile when he saw me. "If it isn't the Storm-Witch, nice to see you here!" He spread his arms, gesturing to the destruction around him, "What do you think? You like it? It remind you of home, as the Talbanians broke past your walls?"_

_Even if I wasn't actually my home city as it was attacked by the Talbanians, the reference was still infuriating. I charged, and he smiled, sending summoning his jouhyou and sending it blade flying at me. I struck hard with my sword, knocking the rope dart off-course. It spun away quickly, but my opponent grinned sadistically, and I turned, eyes widening in horror. The blade of the jouhyou was on a direct course for a small child, and the man I was fighting made no moves to correct it. The dart moved in slow motion as I rushed to intercept it, but it was too far away already. It neared the child, who watched it, eyes wide, but then a woman dashed in front of it, and it impaled her. My opponent's grin widened, even as my horror grew._

"_Maria!"_

"_Aeria..." She coughed, "look after them..." She spat blood, giving me a sad smile, "keep the children safe." And then my opponent tore the jouhyou from its place, and she collapsed, eyes dim. I felt myself fading, even as tears threatened to escape my eyes,_

"_Maria... why?" I felt my body grow lighter, as if it were made of air, "Why?" I asked, as my vision blurred, and the village vanished from my sight._

I awoke shaking, remembering my dream vividly. This was the third time I had had such a dream within the span of, roughly, a day, and I could no longer push them aside. My mind spun with questions, who was the girl with the blind-fold? Who was the man wreathed in flames? Who was Maria? Who was _I?_ But no answers came. At least Nao's statement from last night made sense now. I looked outside to see the blue of early morning, and set to getting dressed. Eiry watched me worriedly from her position, hovering over my bed. "Master, are you okay?"

Instead of nodding, this time I shrugged. I really didn't know. I headed downstairs to see Piaras was already up, as expected. He noticed me, "Morning Aeria." And then he noticed how shaken I was, "You okay?" Again, I shrugged. "You don't know? Did you have another dream?" I nodded, and wrote in my journal,

'I remember it. I had two more... I remember them too.'

"Isn't that a good sign then?"

I shrugged again as I wrote, 'I have more questions then answers and I'm not sure I want to be able to remember two of them...'

"What do you mean?" He asked, but I shook my head and gestured to the door. He was obviously worried, and wanted to know why I was so bothered, but he understood it was my past, and had apparently decided that it was my decision if I wanted to share it or not. He handed me eightty gold to go eat breakfast, and I nodded my thanks as I walked out the door, heading to Caitin's grocery. I was met with a similar greeting as I walked through the door to see Caitin frosting a cake. "Good morning, Aeria, are you alright? You look a bit... off." I nodded this time, trying to save myself from a repeat conversation, but Caitin was more insistent then Piaras. "Are you sure? If something's bothering you, you should really talk to someone about it."

I shrugged, pointing to a strawberry and some bread and placing my money pouch on the counter. Caitin grabbed the bread and strawberry, counted the money, and then proceeded to hold the food out of reach, "You get this if you promise to talk to _someone_ about what's bothering you. Don't leave any details out, either." I looked into her eyes and saw that she was truly worried and sighed, before nodding. "Give it to me in writing, so it's binding." I wrote it on a piece of paper torn from my journal and handed it to her,

'I, Aeria, promise to 'talk' to someone about the thing that's bothering me.' She nodded, accepting it, and handing me my food, "If you haven't talked to someone about it next time, you have to pay twice as much!" She called as I left, and I sighed again, wondering who I would 'talk' to about it. After a brief time spent pondering, I decided on Duncan, but that would have to wait until I finished my chores for the day. I walked to the Inn to see Nora standing outside as usual, apparently she had woken up shortly after I did. "Hey Aeria! Uncle said you remembered some things... Don't let it get to you, okay?" I nodded, at least Nora didn't hound me like Piaras and Caitin had. I stepped through the inn's door, and promptly bumped into someone. I stepped back as he spoke, "Ahh... sorry about that, I'm not a morning person." I noticed who it was and tilted my head inquisitively.

Standing before me, his hair in the same messy state it was last night, was Sert. "Ah, Aeria! Morning..." He noticed my expression and tried to figure out what my question was. Eiry elaborated for me, "We didn't know you were staying at Piaras' inn too."

"Ah!" You could have seen the gears shift into place in his mind, "I'm actually not from Tir Chonaill. I'm visiting from Dunbarton."

My mouth formed the 'Ah!' shape, and he nodded scratching the back of his head... maybe that was why his hair was perpetually messy. "Yeah... I decided to see the world so, instead of going to school in Emain Macha. My sister, Syra, thinks it's stupid of me, but..." He left this sentence hanging, unsure how to finish it, and I just nodded, as was customary of me.

I looked to Piaras, who was watching us talk, and he continued, "Ah, today's Samhain, so don't worry about any chores." I nodded, and then turned, intent on seeing Duncan.

"Later, then, Aeria." Sert said as I started up the hill, I turned and waved as he headed off to do some errand or other before classes began. I arrived to see Duncan standing outside his house watching the sky as per usual. I waved to him and he turned, his traditional smile on his face. His smile faltered when he focused on my face, something in my expression giving him pause. "Hello Aeria, what can I do for you?"

And so, I began writing, detailing my conversation with Nao and the dreams I'd had. When I was done, and he took the journal and began reading, his smile bent down into a neutral line. It was the first time I had seen Duncan actually look serious about something. "This... this is troubling indeed. Come inside." He guided me in, a hand on my back, and shut the door behind him... It was also the first time I had seen him close his door during the day while it wasn't raining or snowing (4).

"I suppose I should start with the doors as they're the more immediate concern... I'll get to the point... The dungeons are, in essence, an immensely complex seal matrix designed to inhibit the fomors in their attempts to enter Erinn. The statues of the goddess serve to close of and isolate sections of the dungeon and keep certain types of fomors there. When you offer something to the goddess, she sends you to an appropriate location for your intention, but that location will then be cut off from other parts of the dungeon. However, in three of the dungeons, there is a large door behind the alter. Those doors lead into the dungeon without the statue to intervene... meaning that through the door you can access the entire dungeon. If the door is left open, the fomor can do the same. The seal on Alby's door has weakened to the point that, with the help of a particularly powerful individual, it can be opened. Not only that, it _is_ open... partially, anyway. It's why Alby is suddenly so much more dangerous, and why all the torches went out. The worst part is the only two people I know of who could restore the seal are both missing..." He stared into the fire lit in his hearth, a frown upon his face, and I stared into his eyes as they reflected the flames. He sighed and turned to me, "Well... there's nothing we can do to fix it now. I'll have Ranald stop sending apprentices into Alby and place Trefor on guard with the more experienced students outside it. As for you... You should go to Dunbarton to receive additional training. There's nothing you can do here, and you need to become as strong as possible, as quickly as possible."

"As for your dreams..." He smiled again, thought it seemed weaker now, like it was transparent, "You shouldn't worry about them so much. The answers to your questions will come in time. The past is in the past. I'll send a message to Trefor, you go talk to Ranald."

I nodded, and opened the door, "Aeria." He called out, and I turned around, "Nao was right, you know. You _are not_ alone."

I nodded again, and left his house, setting off down the road. I looked up and noticed the sky above had grown dark and gray. Looking down, I had noticed less children were at play, and the eyes of the adults were worried. I continued on, walking down to the school, past the square, Caitin's grocery, and the church, burning the village into my mind as I passed. I came to the school to see Ranald supervising his newer apprentices as the more experienced ones sparred with each other. I fetched a note from my pocket and handed it to him as he turned to me, having noticed his approach. The note was simple, but the implications behind it were tremendous.

'Don't send any more students into Alby. - Duncan.'

He might have have cursed when he turned to the side, but I could never be sure. "That bad huh? Alright, I get the message." That was when I wrote my own note and handed it to him.

'Duncan wants me to go to Dunbarton.'

"Ah man, this is going to cause some headaches." He turned around, "Level tens and above, supervise the others!" He turned back to me, "Come on, I'll get a recommendation written out and help you get ready."

He led me into the right school building, the one opposite Lassar's class room. Once inside, he pulled out a piece of paper and began writing as I watched impassively, my mind still buzzing with thoughts of my own- too many to focus on any single one. After a while, he lifted to his face and examined it. After finding it to his satisfaction, he handed to me, "Give this to Aranwen in Dunbarton and she'll accept you as a student. Now..." He opened up a storage closet and removed a pair of steel bracers, large enough to cover my forearm from my elbow to my wrist. There were several dark gray lines on each one which formed the visage of a pair of swords. "These are supposed to be given to apprentices after they pass their final exam, but I'd say you're ready for them. Come on, try them on."

I nodded, taking the bracers and fitting them about my arms, tightening the leather straps on them so that they wouldn't fall off. "Well, don't you look like a little soldier now?" Ranald joked, though it was obviously hollow. He turne dserious once more as he placed his hand on my shoulder, "Now, be careful out there, alright? Tir Chonaill is a peaceful place, but it's also cut off from the rest of the world... who knows what things are like out there, if they're getting worse here, right? And, remember, every time you start down a new road, there's an old road behind it."

I nodded, and he sent me out, "Well, later Aeria. When you come back, you better be able to give me a run for my money in a fight, got it?" I nodded again and set off to the inn, my face blank... even more blank than usual. Behind me, I could hear Ranald speaking to his class, "Alright, listen up! Something's going down in Alby, so we're not going to train there anymore..."

I reached the inn quickly; it was only twenty feet or so down the road, after all, and saw Nora standing outside as usual. She was leaning against one of the posts supporting the inn's overhang, watching clouds drift by in the sky. She noticed me approaching and smiled, though her smile dimmed somewhat when she saw my expression, "Hey, Aeria! Nice bracers."

I nodded, and her smile lost its glimmer for the first time I had ever seen, "You're leaving, aren't you?" At another of my traditional nods, she smiled again, though it didn't reach as high on her cheeks as it normally did, "Well, good luck!"

I stepped past her and into the inn, where Piaras looked at me, noticed my expression and the bracers on the wrist, and promptly tossed me a bag of coins which I caught easily after having a year's practice catching his throws, "Spend it wisely, okay kiddo?"

I looked inside... twelve rolls, so one thousand, two hundred gold pieces. I nodded my thanks and started up the stairs to my room. Inside, I looked at all the sketches adorning the walls, incalculable in number, and to the small table where I kept my journal and pencil, and then once more to the windmill outside the window that I would stare at for hours on end. It turned, as it always did, at a slow, steady rate. After a few moments, I retrieved my traveler's bag (a gift from Malcolm a year ago that had seen little use), and began to pack. I placed the pouch I had gotten from Piaras into the bag first, followed by my journal, and a sketch of Tir Chonaill's windmill I had made (the one sketch that turned out as I had intended it to). Really, I thought as I looked at my room, there wasn't much worth packing.

With a small sigh, I took all the sketches down and stacked them into several piles on the desk, leaving them for Nora and Piaras to do with what they will. I made the bed, and then shut the door behind me. It fell into place with a small thump that hung a note of finality high into the air. I walked downstairs and Piaras called out, "Hey, don't forget to get a traveler's cloak. Wouldn't want you cold, wet, and shivering when you show up at your destination, would we?" I nodded to him and went out the door, passing Nora who called out, "See you later, Aeria!"

Up the ill I went to Caitin's grocery to pick up some bread for my journey, which Caitin refused to sell, as promised, until I proved that I had talked to someone about my troubles, at which point she gave me the bread for free, as well as another three pieces. "Make it last, Aeria." I nodded, placing it in my bag and walking up the hill to obtain some potions (and bandages, at her insistence) from Dilys, "Having the means to patch yourself up afterward doesn't justify becoming injured, be careful out there." I nodded, once more, and set off down the hill, passing the square and then the church. Outside the school gate, I paused though. It wasn't for a sentimental reason, as my resolve was strong enough to set out, no... I stopped because Sert was standing in the middle of the road, one hand on a burlap sack, and the other on the hilt of a new sword. He had a small grin on his face as he spoke up, "Hey Aeria, you're leaving too? What a coincidence... Want to travel to Dunbarton together? I've been meaning to visit Syra in person for a while now..."

Apparently, Sert had discovered my destination and used it as an excuse to accompany me. I tilted my head, before shrugging, and he took that as an affirmative, because he fell into step beside me as I crossed the bridge into Tir Chonaill's southern field.

I resisted the urge to look back as I stepped into the forest that the road to Dunbarton led into. The road to Dunbarton, and the road to whatever the future had in store.

"Hey Aeria, did I ever tell you how good of a cook Syra is?" Sert spoke in contrast to the mood.

"Read the mood, second!" Eiry reprimanded him.

* * *

_**End Notes: If you're thinking this is a bit fast for Nora to tell Aeria her full private story, be that close, or something similar to that... remember that this is a year after Aeria arrived in Erinn, and unlike the actual in game milettians, Aeria ages at the same rate as tuatha da danann. That's a LOT of filler, and I skipped most of it to spare you.**_

_**1:) Amaranthe: Greek word. The Amaranthe is a flower that symbolizes immortality, undying passion, etc. etc. The immortal flower, her full name is Amaranthe ves Chala Valencia. Ves signifies she is the first born of a noble family, Chala comes from her mother's name, and Valencia is the family name (ves is an, as far as I know, original, made-up particle).**_

_**2:) Is it just me or has Aeria become everyone's little sister?**_

_**3:) My explanation for accessories never becoming too small, and somehow adding to your defensive stat and protecting you even though they barely protect anything by themselves. And by the way, Nexon spells Torque incorrectly. It should be Torc.**_

_**4:) Seriously, his door is never closed in-game, **_**even at night, while it's raining.**

**Character Bios for the Chapter (Because last chapter had no bios, this chapter will have five bios and an encyclopedia on locations mentioned in the chapter that aren't actually visited.)**

** Name: **Piaras {P-are-us}

** Appearance: **His hair is short, black and combed neatly to either side of his head. His face is lean and youthful, and his eyes and small, nearly unnoticeable smile give the impression that he's a friendly, easy-going guy. He wears a dark-green vest over a long-sleeved, white shirt, and a pair of light brown leather pants with matching shoes.

** Other Information: **The owner of Tir Chonaill's inn, Piaras is suitably friendly and likable, but he's also strict with his money. Piaras had been traveling Uladh and returned to Tir Chonaill upon news of his brother's (Nora's father) death. Presumably, he also took control of the inn from his brother, and took care of young Nora. He agreed to allow Aeria free room and board in exchange for help with various errands and chores after a conversation with Duncan. During the year Aeria has spent with him, he's come to consider himself partially responsible for her, as she stays under his house, and acts as familiar and fatherly to her as he does to Nora. Because Tir Chonaill hasn't been receiving much traffic (not that it ever does), his rates have increased drastically.

** Name: **Nora {Nor-uh}

** Appearance: **Her hair is short and honey-blonde, combed so that everything but a few rebellious bangs on her forehead comes together at the base of her neck. She wears a dress with a white blouse and brown skirt, and a green, well-ironed apron that, unlike most aprons, has a solid back (which reaches her waist) and front (which reaches her knees and has an opening at the top reminiscent of a vest). Her aqua-green eyes are large and the grin she usually sports gives her a carefree, friendly expression.

** Other Information: **Bright, optimistic, and generally likable, despite having lost both her parents, Nora greets travelers as they enter Tir Chonaill's inn. Despite, or maybe because of, her arguably childish behavior, Nora hates being treated like a child, or being referred to as childish. During the year that Aeria has stayed at the inn, Nora has become something of an older sister figure for the amnesic girl. Since Aeria is mute, she doesn't tend to socialize with anyone she hasn't been introduced to, and tends to stay in her room and sketch when she's not visiting Duncan, helping around the inn, or training. Thus, Nora has taken to visiting the younger girl as she has come to the conclusion Aeria must be lonely since the amnesic girl does nothing but stare out the window and sketch (or at least attempt to sketch) what she sees. Even though Nora's job is to wave customers into the inn, there haven't been very many travelers in Tir Chonaill as of late. In fact, the most they had in a single week during the missing year was a traveling couple, so Nora's job has become relatively unnecessary.

** Name: **Ranald {Ran-uld}

** Appearance: **His hair is medium-length and dark brown. The right side of his hair has been grown out to reach his chin in order to hide a scar, and his strong, kind face endears him to his students (when he's not making them run drills). He wears a dark green shirt, over which is a light-brown vest that has an opens slit in the front with strings crisscrossing it so that the vest can be adjusted for the person's size. He also wears a pair of dark gray pants and simple leather shoes.

** Other Information: **Ranald was trained by Duncan, and as a result he respects the Chief even more than most of Tir Chonaill's residents. Ranald is very skilled with the blade, and teaches melee combat in Tir Chonaill's school. He's known for running drills on the straw training dummies whenever he doesn't have any students to watch over or errands to run. Akin to Piaras, Ranald feels responsible for Aeria because she's his student, and if Aeria is injured, he lectures her strictly, and mentally lectures himself for failing to teach her well enough to survive. Unlike Piaras, who is particularly close to Aeria (out of his tenants- Nora doesn't count as she's a relative), Ranald feels the same level of responsibility for all his students.

** Name: **Sertelein {Surt-uh-lee-in}

** Appearance: **Messy, crimson hair sits atop Sert's head in a manner much like a pile of straw. His wide, carefree eyes are a pair of sapphire jewels amidst a pile of rubies and draw attention accordingly. Sert is fifteen with a fit, lean body, and he wears a leather vest over a white shirt with a pair of iron shoulder pads and a thick black belt that houses both his sword scabbard and a small dagger. His pants are also leather, and his knees are protected by another pair of iron pads. His feet are protected by a pair of sturdy, leather boots that reach just past his ankle.

** Other Information: **Sertelein is a student of Ranald's who arrived in Tir Chonaill recently. He stays in Piaras' inn and pays his way with the gold he gets from Alby and by assisting the villagers with various tasks from farming to sheep-guarding to simple errands such as fetching water. As a result, he often complains about having next to no free time, though it's mostly with good-humor and meant as a jest. His room is a windowless loft that was once part of the inn's attic because it's Piaras' cheapest available room. He has a twin sister named Syralein (Seer-uh-lee-in), or Syra for short.

** Name: **Aeria {Air-ee-uh} ~Updated~

** Appearance: **Long, silver hair is kept in a braided ponytail that reaches halfway down her back, with a several stray bangs on either side of her face. Her eyes are gray and dull, like a pair of cold stones, and her mouth is almost always a small, flat line, making her look too old for her age. She wears a leather dress with a pocket sewn into it over the left side of her chest, and a dark brown belt holds it to her waist as it's a bit too large. The dress reaches to her knees, and a series of long, leather strips extend from the belt to the space just over her knees where they're fastened to the dress with metal studs. Her boots are made of dark leather and reach halfway up her shins. Over her torso, she wears a gray shawl that fastens over her collar bone and reaches to the center of her back and hangs over her elbows. Around her neck is a gold torc (gifted by Nao) and a leather-string necklace that bears a pouch holding the five stones Nao gave her when she came into being. Eiry is sheathed in Aeria's belt, but does not have a scabbard. Oddly, the belt isn't worn by the short-sword's blade.

** Bio:** Aeria is a spirit called forth from the _void_ into the _soul stream_ by Nao to help prevent the fomors from invading. She was reborn in the body of a ten year old so that she could grow in Erinn and recover her missing memories, but on her eleventh birthday the fomors' seal was weakened drastically, making the odds she grows up normally low. Additionally, she's clinically mute, but was somehow able to produce sound when faced with a desperate situation, even though the sound was an unintelligible screech. She's accompanied by the spirit of her sword, Eiry, wherever she goes, and, because she's mute, Aeria usually communicates with other via writing in her 'conversation journal' (as per Eiry's suggestion). Aeria, during the missing year, became a student of Ranald and Lassar. During this time, she showed exceptional talent in both swordplay and magic, and was given the option of furthering her education in _Dunbarton_ if she ever wished to learn more, as Tir Chonaill only taught her the basics. It should be noted that Aeria has yet to try using a bow or any weapon other than a sword, so her talent may not necessarily be limited to swordplay. For all this, however, she's still insecure and socially awkward, though she has the determination and courage to move past her insecurity when the situation warrants it.

_**Void-**_ The gap between realities. Void is, by definition, emptiness. Aeria recalled that it looked like a vast white expanse, in every direction, and that there was no sense of either up and down, or right and left.

_**Soul Stream- **_One of Erinn's astral planes. This is Nao's dominion, and its full purpose is unknown. It likely serves as a conduit for reincarnating the souls of Tuatha da Danann, as well as Milettians (It makes sense that a Tuatha da Danaan can reincarnate, but only after death, whereas a Milettian can reincarnate at any point in their life after they've lived for a year- which for Milettians in the game is equivalent to a week, but I removed that from the story to save confusion).

_**Dunbarton-**_ The cultural and economic center of eastern Uladh, Dunbarton connects southern Uladh to northern Uladh. It's a fortress enclosed on all sides by thick, stone walls and is famous for its hospitality and various commercial structures. Most of its territory is actually unclaimed and even though it is a fortress-city, it has very few guards. The cold wind of Sidhe Sneachta meets the warm wind of the ocean and creates a weather front, making Dunbarton a relatively rainy territory.


	5. Moving to a New Street

**Wind and Water Chapter V: Dunbarton! Moving to a New Street**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: Right, so last chapter... I have mixed feelings about it, so let's move on (since I still don't know your feelings on the subject- Taeniaea's made hers clear, but she's just one person). New Street is Dunbarton's theme.**

**Right, on to relevant subjects. Yeah, I think Aeria's departure was a little rushed, but I'm more in the mood to just go with the flow of my words as they fall rather then plan them out (other than picturing a general idea of what I want to happen). We now see our heroine and her companion(s) enter into the forest that separates Dugald Aisle, a narrow, rocky mountain pass, from Tir Chonaill, which is an irregularly shaped valley. And yes, this forest does exist in canon, but in the game it transports you straight to the other end of it when you enter.**

**Ne?- Right?**

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears in story)**

_'Thinking' '-Telepathy-'_

**Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.**

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

**"Hey Aeria, did I ever tell you how good of a cook Syra is?" Sert spoke in contrast to the mood.**

**"Read the mood, second!" Eiry reprimanded him.**

**And so Sert, Eiry, and I entered into the forest separating Tir Chonaill from Dugald Aisle.**

I passed through the woods of Dugald Aisle in silence, and the wildlife around me were also quiet. Sertelein, who walked beside me, spoke more than enough to make up for all of us, though. "Hm... I think I can convince Syra to let you stay with us in our house, what do you think of that?"

I shrugged, and he continued his one-sided conversation with me, "Yeah... you probably don't care as long as you have a place to stay, but I have to say, Syra's cooking is the best! Just wait!"

Again, I shrugged, eyes watching the sides of the forest path warily. Aside from Sert's constant stream of chatter, the forest was silent, and it was unnerving. About the time I actually saw something, Eiry grew fed up with Sert's talking.

"Geeze, shut up Second! Can't you read the mood at all? Aside from your repetitive rambling, there's no sound. None! We're in a forest, I'd expect to hear something other than a scatter-brained swordsman-in-training!"

That was when a lightning bolt broke the aforementioned silence of the air with a loud crack and struck me in the center, making me double over. Sert drew his sword and intercepted a wisp as it darted out of the tree, no doubt intent on capitalizing on my shock(1). With a trio of blows, the wisp was knocked back, and Sert charged it, only to be knocked back himself. As Sert stood, I recovered and began charging a fire bolt while the wisp was distracted. It darted at Sert as he shifted into a defensive posture and I sent it flying to the side with my fire bolt. Agitated, it rushed me, only to be smashed by Sert. This time it didn't recover and charge again.

"That's odd," Sert spoke, and I turned to him, tilting my head. "Wisps aren't usually that aggressive. Most of the time they just leave you alone so long as you don't stick around."

I shrugged, for all we knew it had become irritated by Sert's dialogue as well. I continued down the path and Sert followed after me, much quieter now and watching the sides of the road. We exited the woods without further incident, and Sert looked back at them and sighed, glad to leave the oppressive atmosphere he had noticed when he stopped chatting. We were now in Dugald Aisle, and before us a road carved its way steeply down a narrow pass with a few trees and boulder keeping it company. Off in the distance, a fox darted behind a boulder, and a dog chased after it. The scene before us, with the clear sky above, was nothing like the one we had just left.

With a small, relieved sigh of my own, we started down the path, taking care not to lose our footing. The path was steep, I told you earlier... That was an understatement. In some places the road took a near forty-five degree dip, and I slid a few feet several times in those locations. But the path was not terribly long, as steep it was, and after covering about a kilometer's distance, we came upon a sign that read, 'To Dunbarton', and sure enough, ahead of us was a small camp of loggers busy hacking away at trees and stacking firewood, while a few others placed the wood on carts that would be sent where they were needed. In the center was a large tree reminiscent of the Elder Tree in Tir Chonaill that went untouched. We passed through undisturbed, as most of the loggers were too busy with their jobs, and what ones weren't busy simply didn't seem to care.

We passed the logging camp without incident and found ourselves on another narrow path, but this one had less trees, more rocks, and wasn't anywhere near as steep. As we passed through it, the sun was starting on its arc down the sky. We came to another forest, but we weren't attacked this time. After we left the oppressive wood, we were relieved to see a sign that said 'Welcome to Dunbarton.' The road was lined with apple trees, and in the distance we could see several farms. The sun was just beginning to set as we came into view of the city walls, which weren't that far away at all.

The walls were made of white granite, no doubt gathered from the mountains surrounding the valley Dunbarton was found in, and they were tall, but apparently the houses behind them were taller, as several red-tiled roofs peaked out from behind. Sert pointed at one close to the gate, "That one's mine. Let's rest there and see Aranwen in the morning, okay?"

I nodded, weary from the long walk, and so we passed through Dunbarton's gates, just before they closed and the guard stationed at them lit the torches. I raised my eyebrow, '_Only one guard?(2)'_ I had thought, but I was distracted when Sert pulled me to his house by my arm, a wide smile visible on his face.

The house was three stories tall, as were most buildings in Dunbarton, and relatively undecorated other than a plate on the front door that read, 'Edan(3).' Sert knocked on it vehemently and from beyond one could hear hurried footsteps and hushed, unintelligible complaints. The door opened, "What do you want at this-" The girl who opened it spoke before stopping as she saw who it was. "Oh, back from the north already, are you? Thought you wanted to see the world..." Her eyes trailed down to me standing behind Sert, "Who's this?"

"This is Aeria, the reason I left Tir Chonaill so soon... She's one of Ranald's, the martial arts teacher there, higher level students." He said as I waved tentatively.

"Really?" She said, leaning close to me, disbelief in her eyes.

I nodded, as did Sert, "Yeah, she saved my tail when I got in over my head yesterday."

"Yesterday? So why's she here now?"

"Well," Sert began, "she's here to learn from Aranwen, and I decided to come with her to repay her. Anyway, will you let us stay?"

The paused in the door, a finger on her chin and looking thoughtful before she stepped down and, with a smile, gave Sert a hug, "Look at you! Asking for permission to stay in your own house. Come in, already, stupid!"

She stepped back, laughing, and I followed Sert into the building, shutting the door behind me. The room was rather simple, with a hearth to the right, and a line of counters on the wall opposite the door, broken only by a sink, icebox, and staircase leading upstairs. In the center of the room was a table with four stools around it, resting on a simple red rug. On the same wall as the door was a large, beveled window with thick, white curtains pulled shut along it, and on the walls to the left and right were several pictures. As the moved off to the side, I looked at the pictures on the left wall. There were three of them, arranged like the points of an equilateral triangle. The bottom left picture was Sert and the girl, who must be Syra(4). Syra was in front of Sert, looking down and blushing while Sert stood back, his trademark grin on his face and his right hand resting on Syra's shoulder. He gave a thumbs-up sign to the viewer.

The next picture was of Syra holding a younger girl in her lap and combing her hair in front of a mirror, while the final picture was of five people. In the very front, was the younger girl, while behind her, at either shoulder, was Sert and Syra, and behind them was a pair of adults who resembled Sert and Syra, their parents, most likely.

I looked to Syra, who was cooking a meal as she talked, "So you had to be saved by someone half your height? I bet that was embarrassing, it's too bad I couldn't see you afterward."

Her tone was pleasant and spoke of her familiarity with Sert, who simply scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "Well, in my defense I completed every room before that one without any trouble, and the dungeon boss was in the next room."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure..." Syra said, before her face blossomed into a mischievous smile, "But you still needed to be saved by a little girl."

Apparently Sert gave up after this, because he just groaned and sat down at the table, and Syra continued her conversation, "You know you're lucky you arrived while I was still cooking, or you wouldn't have any food..." That was when the older girl noticed me standing in front of the stairs, watching, "Why hasn't she said anything?"

"She's mute." Sert replied, bluntly. "She hasn't said a single word in all the time I've met her."

"Hm?" Syra was looking at me out of the corner of her eye now, and I waved to her, before she focused back on the skillet in front of her.

"Syra?" Sert spoke questioningly, but Syra didn't respond, remaining silent as she cooked. Her eyes had become distant, and it reminded my of the descriptions people often gave of my own eyes. I wondered what she was thinking about.

But, I would not find out today, as Syra turned around, grabbing a trio of bowls and somehow balancing them in her arms as she filled them with the stew she had just cooked. The girl then glided over to the table and set them down, "Done!" She turned to me, "Come on over and sit down."

I nodded to her and walked to the seat she was pointing at, which faced the window. To my left sat Syra, and to my right sat Sert. The curtains were lit from outside by the light-posts in the streets. I looked at the stew, and then to Sert, who was already digging in, and from Sert my eyes drifted to Syra, who was looking at me expectantly, hands in her lap. I took the spoon next to my bowl and took a bite, and looking to Syra who was now leaning forward. The stew was good, just as good as anything Caitin had ever cooked. And so I gave Syra a smile, before finishing my meal.

"So..." I looked to Syra as she spoke after everyone finished their stew. "If you're mute, how do you communicate with people?"

"She uses a book." Sert answered for my, and I nodded, pulling out my conversation journal and placing it on the table, writing and showing Syra.

**'But it makes things kind of awkward, and it draws conversations out significantly.'**

Syra nodded, "That's understandable... It must be hard, ne?"

"-Having something to say and not being able to say it." She continued.

I nodded, filing the small, almost unnoticeable undertone in voice away for later reference.

"So you're going to train with Aranwen? You must be pretty good."

I nodded, and Sert spoke for me again, "She's really good. It's actually kind of scary how good she is, considering how old she is."

"Hm, I suppose you've practiced a long time then?"

I shrugged to this. Apparently I had practiced often in my former life, but in this life I had only technically been alive for a year, and the sentence I wrote down backed that.

**'Only for a year.'**

"Really?" Both Sert and Syra spoke at the same time, but Syra sounded interested whereas Sert sounded incredulous.

I nodded, and Syra stood up abruptly, "Well, that's enough talk for tonight. The sun's gone down, and I'm pretty sure you want an early start tomorrow... You can use the spare bedroom on the third floor." She said, directing the last part at me.

I nodded and went up the stairs, passing a few more pictures in the hallway. One of Sert by himself, another of Syra, and one more of the young girl who was as of yet unnamed.

I found the stairs to the third floor at the end of the hallway and found another hallway at the top, but this one was much shorter. There were two doors, one to either side. I looked at the one on the left which had a sign on it that read

'**Mom and Dad's room.'**

So I entered the one on the right, and found a small room with a single bed and dresser. A window with curtains tied back overlooked the street below. I set my bag on the dresser and leaned Eiry against the wall before changing and laying in bed, next to a column of brick that most likely led to the hearth on the first floor. For some reason, I could hear Sert and Syra talking downstairs through the stone.

"Spill, you didn't just lead her here because she helped you out, did you?" Syra asked, her voice accusing.

"No, really, that's it!" Sert replied, though his defense was weak.

"Really? You sure it isn't..."

I never head the rest of Syra's statement as I fell asleep then, weary from the travel I had done.

* * *

"_Aeria!"_

_I turned, lowering my sword and sparing the training dummy from its beating, for a while, to face a girl wearing a white dress with long golden hair, a silver circlet on her head. Her eyes were red, matching the ruby embedded in her circlet. "Yes, Lady Amaranthe(1)?"_

"_What did I say about over-working yourself?"She asked rhetorically, her hands on her hips, her brows furrowed, and her mouth in a slight frown._

"_Lady Amaranthe," I sighed, "We've been over this. I must train as often as possible, and improve myself as much as possible each time, so that when I face my better, I will instead be their match."_

_She frowned more, and then pouted, "But you were injured on the last assignment! You shouldn't be training while injured!" She pointed at me accusingly, and I shrugged, holding up my sword, "I am using my right hand, Lady Amaranthe. It was my left arm that was injured."_

"_But you're left-handed!"_

_I shrugged again, "I'm ambidextrous, Lady Amaranthe. Besides..." I pulled the wrappings of my left arm off to reveal it was unscathed underneath, "I've always healed quickly."_

"_But still!" Amaranthe continued, "You shouldn't push yourself! One of these days, you're going to need that extra energy you put into training! What are you going to do then?"_

_Her voice softened as she continued, "What are you going to do then?"_

_I sheathed my sword and walked over to her as my vision faded to black, her voice echoing in my ears,_

"_What are you going to do then?"_

_What scared me then is, I really didn't know what I would do._

_

* * *

_

I opened my eyes as sunlight poured through the window to my right and stood up, sighing. It was another vivid dream. This one wasn't as troubling as the first, but it still raised more questions than it answered. Who was Amaranthe? Why did I respect her so- was she royalty or nobility? Why did she worry so much for me? Why had I been so adamant about training?

Why was I still so adamant about training?

I dressed, sheathed Eiry and walked downstairs to find Syra cooking breakfast. She turned and smiled pleasantly, showing none of whatever was going on beneath her front last night. "Good morning Aeria!"

I nodded and gestured outside. "Breakfast is almost done, why don't you wake Sert up and eat- then go out?"

I nodded and went back to the second floor, which only had a single room. '**Syra and Sert'** it read. I opened the door to find the room was short on space. There was a window allowing light in across from me, and to either side was a bed. On the left wall was another door. But each bed took up nearly half the room, which made me remember how small the house really was, despite how tall it was.

Sert was sleeping under a red comforter in the bed to the right. I walked over to him and it came as a surprise to me that he barely made any noise when he slept. Somehow I had been expecting him to be sprawled out on the bed, snoring loudly, but instead he lay beneath the covers on his side, breathing quietly, and the blanket barely looked disturbed at all. I stopped musing and remembered what I was here for.

I looked to Eiry, and she grinned mischievously at my expression, before floating next to Sert's ear.

"WAKE UP, SECOND!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as I stepped back. Sert flew out of his bed so fast I was wondering why he wasn't feeling light headed.

"What's going on?" He spoke frantically, before he saw my standing in front of the door, and Eiry floating off to the side with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Breakfast is almost done." The spirit spoke with thinly veiled amusement and smugness.

Sert's eyes narrowed as he realized what happened, and he pointed at Eiry accusingly, "You... I'm going to get back at you, just wait."

"I'm sure." Eiry replied confidently as she followed me out the door, which Sert shut irritably behind us.

Downstairs, Syra was still cooking and I took a seat at the table, Eiry hovering over my shoulder. "Hm..." She mused aloud, and I turned to her, "You should let Syra hold me, it'll make talking with her a lot easier."

I shrugged, not seeing any reason not to. I clapped, and Syra turned, raising her eyebrow, as she saw me offering her Eiry's medium, hilt-first.

"What do you want me to do with this?" She asked, rhetorically, as she took the blade.

Once she grasped the handle completely, she almost dropped it in shock as Eiry appeared right in front of her, "Hi! I'm Eiry, the spirit of Master's short sword."

"...Um... hi."

"You can give my medium back to Master now, we just wanted you to be able to hear and see me, so I could help Master communicate with you." Eiry continued, drifting back to me and 'sitting' on my shoulder.

"Right..." Syra replied as she handed the short sword back to me. I nodded, sheathing it as Sert came down the stairs.

"Alright you little minx, just you wait, I'll get back at you." His eyes were so narrow and his expression so serious, I raised my eyebrow as Eiry smiled, "We'll see, Second, we'll see."

"Am I missing something here?" Syra spoke, surveying the scene.

"Ah! Syra- I'm not crazy, really! There's this little spirit-thing that hangs around Aeria and..."

He saw Eiry's broad grin and noticed Syra pointing at Eiry before groaning, "Ah dang it!"

He looked to me, where I was writing in my second journal, "What'cha doing Aeria?"

"Master's writing last night's dream down for later reference." Eiry answered for me.

"Why would she do that?" Syra spoke curiously, bringing a trio of plates to the table.

"Master doesn't remember anything before her birthday a year ago," The spirit supplied, "She writes down her dreams to see if she can piece together what her old life was like."

"Oh..." Syra replied, looking thoughtful, as Sert stood off to the side, a contemplative expression on his face, "What was this dream about?"

Eiry shrugged helplessly and looked to me, where I had just put my pen down and pulled out my conversation journal.

I hesitated to write anything down, before I allowed the pen to touch the paper, **'A girl... I was in the garden with a girl, and my left arm was injured.'**

Syra nodded, and Sert spoke up from his seat to my right. "That... wasn't an ordinary nightmare, was it? In the dungeon, I mean."

I put the fork I had picked up back on the table and stared at my hands. Just as Syra was going to lecture Sert, I steeled myself and began writing, silencing both of them.

**'A man spoke, "Who did this?" He asked, "Not only kill but mutilate the bodies, that is no way to fight. Only a beast, a monster or an oni would do such a thing." And then... Blood... The girl in front of my said she could smell blood, and I was covered in blood, but I wasn't injured, and neither was she... And then I turned around, and there was a man, stabbed in several places, his face unrecognizable. And beyond a pair of large, broken windows, there was a field that was just... coated in blood... and there were bodies... so many bodies. There was a pair of men burying them, and one of them was glaring at me.'**

Both Syra and Sert turned pale as they read it, "That's... not something a child should see." Sert spoke, and Syra picked up,

"But... it's not like you could have killed them, right?"

I shook my head and continued to write, one more line. **'I spoke, surveying the scene, "I have shed blood in the house of My Lady, I have fallen to their level.'**

The siblings were speechless, and even Eiry was missing her usual cheer. "Goddess..." Sert spoke, "I mean... I knew you were good, but... not only to have amnesia, but a past like that... Geeze... I can't blame you for forgetting it."

I didn't write or do anything else, and instead picked up my fork and began to eat, unsure what, if anything, I could do now. To quote a phrase, the cat had been let out of the bag.

"You're not a monster, a beast, or a demon, Aeria." Syra spoke, her tone serious. I just nodded, focusing on my food.

After an awkwardly quiet breakfast, I stood and walked to the door, looking at Sert expectantly.

He looked at my in return, trying to figure out what I wanted before he snapped, his fingers, "Ah! You don't know where Aranwen is, do you?"

"Well, duh, Second! How dense are you?" Eiry spoke, and Sert chose to ignore her as he walked over to me, "Come on, I'll show you. Later Syra."

I waved to Syra, who waved back, "Bye." Her farewell sounded hollow though, no doubt she was still thinking.

Sert led me across the street and then up a flight of stairs, and low and behold Aranwen was training in the courtyard, though she was the only one there. She turned as we entered the court, "Need something?"

"Aeria here has a letter for you." Sert spoke, and I nodded, handing the letter to Aranwen.

She read it silently, before folding it up and placing it aside, "I see... Then, let's spar so I know your level, shall we?"

I nodded, and Sert stepped off to the side. Aranwen handed me a practice sword, we stepped out of arm's reach of each other, and then the spar began. Neither of us wanted to make the first move, so we both stood apart from each other, swords held in a reactive stance. Eventually Aranwen decided to take the initiative and stepped forward, before crouching and performing a windmill, only to hit air as I had recognized the stance and moved back. Once again, I stood in a reactive stance, and Aranwen stood and charged after finishing her windmill. This was my only advantage; Aranwen needed to know my level, whereas I was fairly certain she was above me. As a result, I stayed on the defensive and forced her to attack.

Her blade met my own in another, brief, but furious, exchange. She struck hard to my left shoulder, but I parried it, striking her blade as hard as I could to try and disarm her, but she pulled back. As expected, I couldn't beat her by staying on the defensive. My stamina was lower, as well as my overall physical capability. Another exchange of blows- her blade was sent forward to my diaphragm, but I knocked it off course, only for her to recover and, while my own blade was lower to block the chest-strike, hers had moved around and was no resting on my right temporal bone (6).

I sighed, lowering my blade and leaving my stance to acknowledge my defeat. Aranwen lowered her own blade and exited her stance as well, her eyes focused, analyzing our fight. Finally, she spoke, "You have some talent, there... Only eleven years old, and you lasted three rounds with me." A brief pause, "Alright, I'll train you. Be here tomorrow at five, I'll explain the day's schedule then. Use the time to find some lodgings and buy supplies... get a feel for the city."

I nodded, and stepped back as she resumed her own practice. I had already found a place to stay, but as far as supplies and knowledge of the area went, I was lacking.

"That was amazing, Aeria!" I nodded, pulling out my conversation journal and writing,

**'Would you mind helping my learn about Dunbarton's layout?'**

"Of course not!" He smiled, "We have a map in storage..."

* * *

_**Author's Note: I hate writing filler. I got bored writing this and put it off for a bit, XD. It's here now, though, and since the 'official' release pattern is one chapter per week, I'm still a week ahead of schedule (I should've only just now released chapter four, but I released it early, as well as two and three). It's a bit shorter than all the others because I just really didn't see a way to continue it and move the plot forward at the same time. On the bright side, the other chapters are also assisted by enormous author notes so... This author's note is smaller.**_

**(1): No pun intended.**

**(2): In game, the only 'guard' in the entire city is the martial arts teacher, Aranwen, and maybe two nameless NPCs in the square.**

**(3): Edan is of Scottish, Irish, and Gaelic origin and means 'Fire'.**

**(4): Mentioned in previous chapters. Syra's profile and description is the first listed below.**

_**(5): Amaranthe: Greek word. The Amaranthe is a flower that symbolizes immortality, undying passion, etc. etc.**_

_**(6): Right side of the head, just behind the eye, but in front of and above the ear. It should feel like a dent, and if you clench your jaw you should feel movement.**_

**Name: **Syralein (Seer-uh-lee-in)

**Appearance:** Her long, blond hair is held in a ponytail via a small white band, and several rebellious bangs hang over the left side of her face. Her ruby-colored eyes are wide and shaped almost like almonds, and her round face gives her a childish appearance, making her look a year or two younger than she is. She wears a white dress with a light brown apron over it.

**Bio:** Sertelein's twin sister, Sert often treats her as if she were a child even though they're twins and therefor the same age. Syra responds to this treatment with indignation, even though her personality is admittedly childish and compliments her appearance. She's known around Dunbarton for how well she cooks, and she often helps Glenis run her grocery store by cooking food and running errands in exchange for enough money to make ends meet. Even though Syra behaves childishly, those who know her and Sert agree that she's the more responsible of the siblings, as Sert only helps sporadically, whereas she keeps a steady job. Even though she lectures Sert on his irresponsible and often times, indecisive, behavior, Syra secretly wishes for him to stay the way he is, and even though Syra is childish most of the time, she acts more mature when the situation requires it. Syra's favorite saying is, "The cloud is blown by the wind across the field, and the wind never stops blowing, even after the cloud is gone."


	6. Silver Tempest of White Hold

**Wind and Water Chapter VI: The Silver Tempest of White Hold, Bearer of the Lady's Name, Schizophrenia**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: Thanks for the review gom (godofmadness), since you're my first reviewer other than Tae (she's a relative- doesn't count), I'll grant your request and base a character off Shaosu... Though it seems, in hindsight after I've finished the profile, that I had another character already that could fit the description. Oh well. Once again, I'd like to ask those of you who like this story to either review or add it to alert/favorite story so I know you like it. It's nice to know if people actually enjoy the fruits of your labor... it's why cooks sometimes don't eat their own food and watch others eat it instead.**

Ne?- Right?

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

_**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears i**_**n story)  
Exposition- Restating the most recent events of the prior chapter.**

_'Thinking' '-Telepathy-'_

Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

**I sighed, lowering my blade and leaving my stance to acknowledge my defeat. Aranwen lowered her own blade and exited her stance as well, her eyes focused, analyzing our fight. Finally, she spoke, "You have some talent, there... Only eleven years old, and you lasted three rounds with me." A brief pause, "Alright, I'll train you. Be here tomorrow at five, I'll explain the day's schedule then. Use the time to find some lodgings and buy supplies... get a feel for the city."**

**I nodded, and stepped back as she resumed her own practice. I had already found a place to stay, but as far as supplies and knowledge of the area went, I was lacking.**

**"That was amazing, Aeria!" I nodded, pulling out my conversation journal and writing,**

**'Would you mind helping my learn about Dunbarton's layout?'**

**"Of course not!" He smiled, "We have a map in storage..."**

_**And so Sert took led me home, pulling a yellowed, aging map from its place, rolled up on the top shelf of the closet next to his room. Dunbarton's layout was rather simplistic. It was a town in a valley, surrounded by a square wall, with a single road running north to south through its eastern side and another road that branched off that one in the center of town, heading west. A large portion of space was dedicated to the square, which confused me, as one would think a city enclosed in such a small space would use as much as possible. To the northwest of the town was Rabbie Dungeon, and to the Northeast was Math. Dugauld Aisle was in the north, and south was Gairech. West was Osna Snail.**_

_**Afterward, he escorted me about the town, showing my the location of the bank, tailor, general goods store, grocery, etc. and introducing my to their owners. The rest of the day after that was uneventful, and I retired early, still weary from the long trek yesterday, and the unusual dungeon run before it. That night, I dreamed again. It was longer than usual this time.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"_Aeria! Guess what?" Amaranthe shouted from behind me, light reflecting from the window onto her golden hair wreathing an white aura about her... and she was wearing a leather jerkin and boots._

"_Lady! Where have you been? Why are you dressed in such a manner?" '_How on earth did you get behind me without me noticing?'

_She smiled, answering nonchalantly, "I was inspecting the city... And guess what? I made a friend!"_

_I wanted to lecture her, to send a scathing rebuke to her, but, seeing her face, and the twinkle in her crimson eyes, I decided it would not be worth it... she was expecting a lecture._

_I sighed, "Who? And how?"_

"_An orphan-girl named Duriel... She helped me get away from you," Here she giggled, and I massaged my forehead in exasperation, "And then I studied magical theory with her."_

_I blinked, she was studying magical theory? So THAT was how she got behind me... And then I realized exactly what she just said, "You were teaching a commoner about magic?"_

_Amaranthe nodded, unfazed by my expected exclamation, "She had a really heavy, powerful aura, and she was working out when I met her, so... I decided to give her a few tips. And I left her with a book on the basics."_

"_I see..." My brow furrowed, '_Powerful, heavy aura? It sounds like... but there's no way one of _them_ could be in this city.' _Wait... "You left her with a book from the royal library!"_

_And Amaranthe nodded again, enjoying my irritation and her success in knocking me off balance. This, of course, only irritated me more, but I couldn't act on that irritation. Not yet anyway. "And I have a favor to ask... Could you help my send a recommendation to the knights on her behalf?"_

_My eyebrow twitched, but her face was serious now, all amusement gone, and so my irritation faded as well. "Why would you ask such a thing?"_

"_I want her to be my bodyguard!" Amaranthe said, smiling, before her face turned serious once more, "But, more than that... she has such a powerful aura. Didn't mother say in one of my theory lessons... '**Those who wield magic are cursed.**' Won't something bad happen if she doesn't learn how to control it?"_

"_Her mana might begin to leak out and alter the weather patterns nearby... or go wildly out of control and level the entire city. **She might level half the country.**" The expression on Amaranthe's face took me aback, and I was beginning to worry when she smiled and skipped back, "Or something like that!" She said, changing the mood completely. "I'm going to go change before the servants see me and have a heart-attack. I trust you to write the letter of recommendation, Aeria!"_

_Before I could speak, she vanished in a shower of golden light, and my eyebrow twitched in frustration. She was using her magic so capriciously... Truly, she was her father's daughter..._

_

* * *

_

I woke up to see the sun filtering through my open blinds, a silent alarm. I dressed, musing over my most recent dream. So Amaranthe was a noble of some kind... and I was her protector, or maybe one of her estate's guards. But, for Nao to choose me specifically, and for the events of my other dreams to make any sense... There had to have been more. I shook my head, sheathing Eiry at her usual place in me belt, which reminded me that I still needed a scabbard for her.

There was another concern. I had used Eiry for a year now, and become accustomed to her grip and weight, but something felt... off. I could wield Eiry very well, but it felt as if, though I was deft with them, my hands were not made for swords... Which made me wonder.

I shook my head again, causing Eiry's brow to furrow from her position in front of me and two my left, "What's wrong, master?"

I shook my head and she took it as a sign I didn't want to talk about it. I passed through the rooms to find that Sert was still asleep, and Syra was awake and probably cooking downstairs. Descending the worn, but sturdy wooden steps, I found my guess was correct.

Syra turned to me as I stepped onto the floor and waved, "Morning Aeria! Want anything particular?"

I shook my head and pointed upstairs, and she caught on quickly. Apparently she learned faster than her brother. "Let Sert sleep until the food's done, there's no point in waking him up beforehand."

I nodded and sat at the table, pulling out my sketch-book. Syra turned to finish cooking, and I began to draw. My hand moved across the page, producing circles and lines that then became joints and limbs, and then a person. But it was not Syra, as was my original attention. The hair-style, outfit, and build were different. The person I drew was most certainly female, judging from her face and hair, but she was wearing armor and carrying a sword. Her hair was black, or at least very dark (1), and it was braided, not held in a ponytail. Her eyes, while I could not tell their color, were light, and despite the smile on her face, her eyes gave the impression she was sad.

She reminded me of myself.

"Who's this?" Syra asked, and I looked up to see the domestic girl had already finished breakfast, dished out food, and cleaned the pots and pans. Apparently she had decided to let me finish my sketch.

I shrugged, pulling out my journal, 'This happens often... It was supposed to be you, but ended up being someone else entirely. My room in Tir Chonail is full of sketches like this.'

"You think it's someone you knew?"

'Maybe. I should go wake Sert up.'

And so I went upstairs, leaving Syra with the sketch of the girl I might have known. "Don't worry, master's drawn many things, but none of them were bad." Eiry reassured her as I left.

I found Sert in the same position I had found him before, laying on his side beneath the covers, breathing quietly. I looked to Eiry and stepped back a few steps. Eiry smiled a mischievous smile that promised Sert misfortune.

Outside, a trio of birds flew from a tree as Eiry shouted what would soon become Sert's customary wake-up call, "WAKE UP, SECOND!" Out the window, I think I saw a few people stop and stare too, and I smiled. My vocal cords were unable to produce a laugh, but I could still smile.

Predictably, Sert flew from his bed, "Where's the fire?" He landed on his feet, but tripped on his blanket, and ended up on the floor, giving Eiry time to retreat behind me as he swore, "Dang it, Eiry!"

"Breakfast is done." She said smilingly, with an amused tone in her voice as I waved and walked downstairs to the sound of Sert grumbling as he dressed. As much as he preached about getting Eiry back, he couldn't do anything to the spirit... and the exuberant sprite knew it, which was why she teased him so much.

When I came downstairs, I found Syra hanging the sketch on the wall next to the family portrait. I raised my brow as she finished and turned around to see me standing there, "Ah, well now we have a picture of, or from, everybody."

"Hm?" Sert said from behind me before inspecting the picture, "Wait! You drew this?" He said, pointing at me.

I nodded, and he went on by himself, "Wow, that's pretty good. I mean, occasionally Nora or Piaras would mention how often you sketch but..."

I shrugged as Sert trailed off. "Master doesn't just draw often... Whenever she's not training, sleeping, or running an errand, Master is sketching."

'I have no voice to speak with anyone, so I couldn't play with the other children. And it's not like I'm an ordinary child in the first place so... I sketched the things going on outside my window.'

"I see..." Sert said, apparently trying to brighten the conversation again, and failing.

"You brood too much." Syra cut in, "You're just a kid, weird dreams, missing memories, or otherwise. You're just a kid, so you have the right to act like a kid... Don't waste it while you're young, it'll be gone when you're older."

I shrugged, it wasn't like I had time to be a child. Not anymore, at least, if I ever did.

I pointed out the door, and Eiry gasped, "Ah! Master has to meet Aranwen, she's going to be late!"

"Ah, don't let us hold you up." I looked to Sert and he spoke hastily, "Ah, don't worry. I'll be by later, you'd better hurry up."

I nodded, and I was out the door, racing to the school. It was fortunate for my that I woke up with the dawn, which was about four o'clock in summer, because it meant that I made it on time, albeit barely, to my meeting with Aranwen.

"Just on time, try to be here a bit earlier next time." She spoke with her arms crossed, and I nodded, noticing that there wasn't anyone else around. As I looked to her questioningly, she continued, "My other students will be by later."

Well, that made sense, but... she was singling me out?

"Since I know drills would be useless at this point, I have a question for you."

I shrugged, pulling out my journal as a sign for her to speak.

"Why do you wield your blade like that?" I blinked, and she elaborated, "You hold the sword correctly, but the way you move and fight with it, it seems like you're used to a longer weapon. And, you might not notice, but your free hand twitches every time you swing one-handed."

I blinked again, I really didn't have an answer for that. I just... wielded Eiry, I didn't have any particular style. I wrote as much in my journal, and Aranwen nodded,

"My suspicions are correct. You're acting on instinct... whatever 'feels right'. But, you're not used to using one-handed weapons, or at least to having one hand free. Because of this... you're not fighting as effectively as you should. So, I'm going to have you try using various weapons and combinations of weapons until we find your true proficiency. Another voice... my own voice, suddenly spoke, as if in my ear.

"_You wouldn't know, being new and all but... The blade is only my third choice as far as weapons go."_

I blinked and nodded, filing the brief memory away for later. Aranwen tossed me a shield, "Get into position for a spar."

And so began a long string of single-round spars, during which Aranwen would stay on the defensive and watch my movements to judge how natural they were.

We had had little success when we came to the two final combinations, "There are two possibilities left." She spoke, "You either used a pole-arm, or you used a bow."

And so she handed me a staff a few inches taller than I was, and I took a stance with it. Before the spar even began, I could feel that this was the one. The weight was a bit off, but the feeling of my hands around the shaft and the space between them was familiar. I charged Aranwen with the staff, my left hand in a reverse grip (thumb down and pointed to the right), while my right was in a standard grip (thumb up and pointed to the left). I moved in, keeping my hands close to me and striking out with the staff. Aranwen knocked the staff aside and jumped back, but I continued to advance, sweeping the staff's end over her just as she was going to stand up, and she rolled out of the way in response. I followed her and swung again, and she, faced with no other choice, parried my blow. My wooden staff met her wooden sword with a solid crack, and the construct flew across the courtyard. For a few moments, both of us stared at her sword, and then she smiled.

"It looks like we found your preferred weapon, but," She spoke as she took the staff from me and pulled a bow from the rack, "We should still test the bow."

I nodded, and I took the bow from her, as well as a trio of arrows.

"_That was amazing Aeria! Why don't you use the bow more often?"_

I blinked again, another memory fragment being filed away. I took the bow in my right hand, and the arrow in my left and drew back the string, aiming for a target at the edge of the courtyard. For a moment, everything disappeared except for me, the center of the target, and the things between us. _"A knight must close in with their opponent. To attack from afar is a sign of one of three things: Weakness, cowardice, or arrogance." _I let the arrow fly, and it _flew_. At first, the arrow was off course and would have missed the target, but the wind picked up at that moment, causing my hair to flap wildly and, had I not bound it, it would have blocked my sight. The wind altered the arrow's course, and it landed in the center of the target.

Aranwen whistled, "A perfect shot, can you do it again?"

And so I did, releasing another arrow, and then another soon afterward. They each hit the center of a target... one on the left of the first target, and another to the right. Both times the wind either stopped blowing, or blew my arrow into a proper place, as if it had a will of its own and wanted me to succeed. Aranwen spoke, but my eyes gazed into the distance and lost focus.

* * *

_I was sitting in a stone room, and there was a small fire in the hearth nearby._

"_What does my name mean, mother?"_

_The woman before me, whose face I couldn't quite make out, smiled._

"_You have a special name. You're named for Aeria, the goddess of storms and travel, and the patron deity of the bow. You're blessed, Aeria. Your silver hair is proof of it. The Lady of the Skies(3) has chosen to mark you, who bears her name. Hold that name with pride, and take her gifts gratefully. Remember that, Aeria. The Lady loves you, as do I."_

_I nodded._

_

* * *

_

The memory was warm, but left me feeling saddened, for some reason. Something must have happened to that woman... my mother.

"Aeria? Are you alright?" I heard Arawnen's concerned voice and blinked, before taking stock of the situation and realizing I had just gone off into my own world in the middle of training. I nodded, turning to her face, and she examined me for a few moments more before stepping back and speaking, "Well... It seems that, while you're good with a sword, your real talent is with the bow and pole-arm." Aranwen paused as she saw me writing,

'I think that I'd prefer not to use the bow... And the weight of the staff felt... off.'

"So you don't want to use the bow, and it's a pole-arm, but not a staff, that you have a preference for? Why don't you want to use the bow? That was amazing, for never having touched one before.

"_Take her gifts gratefully..." _My mother's voice whispered in my ear as I shrugged, unsure myself why I wouldn't use the bow.

"Well, we'll leave narrowing the exact weapon down to another day." The sound of voices reached my ears, "It sounds like my other students are coming."

And her other students filtered in, wearing the same long-sleeved shirts with matching pants, and the same chest-piece and shoulder guards, though the color of their clothes varied. As they finished filtering in, Aranwen got their attention with a shout, "Alright, form up into a single row across the courtyard! Arrange yourselves right to left in order of higher level to lower level!"

They did as instructed, the sound of conversation fading immediately. After they finished, Aranwen inspected the line and nodded in approval. I noticed Sert was standing six people away from the left end, and he waved at me when he noticed my inspection, and confirmed Aranwen was looking at the other end of the line. "This is Aeria. She's come to me from Ranald in Tir Chonail because he has nothing more to teach her." She pointed to the person on the far right, "Caderyn(4)! I want you to spar with her."

The disbelief was readily apparent on the faces of the students. Everyone except for Sert found it hard to believe I had already advanced past Ranald's ability to teach. Sert, however, stood, fading into the line of students with a confident smile on his face. He uncrossed his arms long enough to give me a thumbs-up before returning to his previous posture.

I nodded to him as Caederyn stepped forward, confidence in his stride and his eyes. I looked to Aranwen and gestured to my sword, and then to the staff, and she answered my unspoken question, "You can use either, Aeria. Just try not to bruise him too badly, if you decide to use the staff."

Caederyn's confidence diminished a little, but returned full force shortly thereafter. Apparently he had decided that I couldn't be much of a threat to him. "Beat him up Master!" Eiry shouted, "He's getting on my nerves, looking down on you like that!"

I nodded, and looked to her, then the staff, as if to say, 'Do you mind?'

She shook her head, and I took the staff, shifting into my stance easily as Caederyn stood with his arms crossed.

"Caederyn!"Aranwen called out with authority, "Take her seriously, or you'll get hurt!"

Briefly, I wondered why she was having me spar with her student when I had already disarmed her using the staff... and then I realized that she was using me to make an example. "Begin!"

The moment Aranwen signaled the start of the match and stepped out of the way, the field became empty aside from me, and my opponent. I took a defensive posture, and Caederyn obliged to take an offensive posture in recognition, though he was still apparently miffed at having to fight a child. He charged, and before he could get within five feet of me, he had to step back in order to avoid the tip of my staff, which I pulled back quickly. He frowned, and charged again. This time I waited a second, and, as expected, he lowered his guard. My staff met the side of his right knee with a painful sounding thud, and he stumbled. As he fell, catching himself on his left knee, I moved forward and brought my staff down across the back of his neck. Lightly, because I didn't want to knock him out.

"End!"Aranwen called out, and I stepped back as Caederyn stood, wincing as he bent his injured knee. The disbelief and mocking expressions of the other students were gone, replaced with shock. "Let this be a lesson to you. Never underestimate your opponent. I warned Caederyn to take her seriously, but instead he charges in like a fool, and here is the result."

"_You should have known better than to underestimate the Silver Tempest of White Hold, Bradrick." _A man's voice spoke after Aranwen's.

Caederyn limped off to the side as another student picked up the conversation, "Come on, there's no way. You said he wasn't taking her seriously, right? So if he wasn't holding back..."

"He would have still lost." Aranwen finished, and stilled the following comments with a raised hand, "At least, if she was still using a staff, he would have lost. With a sword, the match would have been even. With a staff, there would be no competition at all."

"But..." Again, Aranwen silenced him with a hand, "She's disarmed me before, using that staff."

That dispelled all of their remaining belief in their superiority. I looked to Aranwen, and she gestured to the rack. I nodded and replaced the staff as she continued, "I want you to find a partner and spar with them. Every five rounds, find a new partner."

"Caederyn! You're doing drills as punishment for failing to heed my advice."

As the students moved to their positions, some of them glancing over at me with incredulous expressions, I turned to Aranwen. "You're done for now, take a break. Get some water, you have to be tired."

I nodded, I was tired. Skill or not, I was still a child, and I had little stamina. It was growing higher, but I was still weary. I sat on the bench overlooking the courtyard and took a sip of water from my flask, before replacing the lid. I watched them run drills for a while, until eventually I fell asleep.

* * *

_I was standing behind a high-backed chair situated on a platform overlooking a large coliseum. Below, in a large, circular field of dust were two people. One of them had blue hair and blue eyes, and the other black and purple. "She might actually make it, Aeria!" A girl, Amaranthe, spoke from the chair. I nodded, "It seems so, but wait for the end of the match..."_

_And what a match it was, between the two of them... the girl I had saved, Marin, and the girl my lady was saving... The dark one, Duriel. They matched each-other blow for blow, the entire fight, even though one had trained her entire life, and the other for a single week. Their natural talent with the blade almost struck me with awe, as it far exceeded my own. They moved back and forth, receiving bruises in spades, but neither overwhelming the other. And that was when it happened, Duriel's sword met her opponent's neck, but at the same time Marin's found its way to her opponent's gut._

_It was a perfect draw... something that hadn't happened in decades. The judge looked to the box, and, after a moment of seeing Amaranthe and her parents looking at me expectantly, I nodded. The judge turned and shouted, "Draw! Both combatants are accepted and approved by the Captain...!" And my vision faded to black, the judge's words echoing in my ears._

_

* * *

_

I head voices as I awoke to someone gently shaking my shoulder. "I guess she's just a kid after all." Someone said, and another spoke up in turn, "Well, who knows what kind of drills Aranwen was putting her through. And she had to have sparred with her at least once..."

I tuned them out as I heard Sert's voice in my ear, "Hey Aeria, wake up."

"_Wake up! Please... Wake up!"_

I turned, banishing the memory from my mind as I turned to Sert, tilting my head questioningly. "School's over for the day," He explained, "We're going home."

I nodded and stood up, brushing dust off of my dress. "Hey Master." I looked to Eiry, "For once, your expression was peaceful while you slept. Did you have a good dream?"

I nodded. For once, my dream didn't leave me with any concerns. I looked to the various students standing behind Sert and he straightened up, scratching the back of his head nervously, "Ah, I don't really know why they're here either." He turned around, and the student closest to me spoke up, "We wanted to ask a few questions to her."

Sert looked to me, and I nodded, so he said, "Okay, shoot."

"Why doesn't she say anything?" The same student asked.

"She's mute." Sert responded.

"How long has she practiced martial arts?" Another student.

"A year."

"What? No way!" The first student exclaimed.

"It's true, she's really talented..."

_**It was several hours before Sert and I managed to escape their questions and go home. That night, I didn't dream.**_

_**

* * *

**_

**Ending Author's Note: A bit shorter than usual, I know, but that's just the way it worked out this time, as I can't figure out anything else to add to the chapter.**

**(1):** The sketch is in black and white, obviously.

**(2):** Sadly, there a no pole-arms in game.

**(3):** Aeria, the Lady of the Skies, is one of seven major gods in the pantheon of Aura. The other six are Aquaria, Lady of the Waters, Noctourna, Lady of the Night, Terra, Lord of the Mountains, Ignis, Lord of Fire, Lumos, Lord of the Fields, and Levis, Lord of the Heavens. Aquaria and Aeria are twins, and one is always inactive while the other is asleep- They trade dominion over storms, and it's said that while Aquaria is asleep, the weather will be fair and chill, and that while Aquaria is asleep the weather will be rainy and moist. Additionally, if one goddess blesses someone, the other does as well, but the benefits of the blessing vary depending on which goddess is awake. The only responsibilities the two don't trade is Prophecy (Aquaria), and Archery (Aeria).

**(4):** Caederyn is an ancient celtic name meaning 'Battle King'. He's most likely going to be a cameo character.


	7. Magic, Splitting a Gray Sky

**Wind and Water Chapter VII: Splitting a Gray Sky, Magic is a Wonderful Thing**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: Warning- The point of view will shift to Syra when she starts telling her story. This occurs early on. Everything else afterward will be from Aeria's point of view again. Splitting a Gray Sky is the music that plays during generation nine's credits. Magic is a Wonderful Thing is a quote from the chapter. This is the third longest chapter so far, and man, was it hard to write.**

Ne?- Right?

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

_**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears i**_**n story)  
Exposition- Restating the most recent events of the prior chapter.**

_'Thinking' '-Telepathy-'_

Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

**"Why doesn't she say anything?" A student asked.**

**"She's mute." Sert responded.**

**"How long has she practiced martial arts?" Another student.**

**"A year."**

**"What? No way!" The first student exclaimed.**

**"It's true, she's really talented..."**

_**It was several hours before Sert and I managed to escape their questions and go home. That night, I didn't dream... One would think I'd be relieved, but instead it made me feel restless, and I didn't get much sleep at all as a result.**_ _**It was so surreal an experience to have uninterrupted sleep, I awoke in the middle of the night.**_

I opened my eyes to see a dark ceiling above me. In the corner of the room, Eiry lay sleeping against her medium, proving that yes, apparently spirits _did_ sleep. I looked outside to see the moon was a thin, waning crescent, and saw that the streets, lit with torches, were empty other than the occasional guard passing by.

I stood, clad in my white night-gown and decided to relieve boredom by exploring the house, since I couldn't get to sleep. And so I stood, seeing the portrait of the twins, their parents, and the little girl, barely making it out in the dim light.

As I was examining the picture, I heard footsteps downstairs. I went to investigate, careful to watch my step in the dark hallway, and found nothing until I reached the first floor, where I saw Syra sitting in a chair at the table, looking outside with a distant expression on her face.

I stood there, watching her for a while, until she noticed me and turned around. "Aeria? Why are you awake at this hour?"

I shrugged, and moved over to sit beside her, pulling out my conversation journal.

'**Can't sleep... What about you?'**

"The same." She said, a small smile on her face, "There's not much to do at this hour, is there?"

I shook my head, and then began writing. **'What is it... that you want to say, but can't?'**

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" She asked innocently. My expression countered her ploy, though, and she sighed. "It's not what I want to say..." She said, looking at the picture by the stair well, "but more, what I wanted to say."

"Care to learn a little more about your house-mate?" At my nod, she began her tale.

* * *

"_Fedel!" I turned to the exuberant youth before me, setting a pot of flowers on the counter._

"_How many times have I told you, Faolan(1)? My name's Syralein, not Fedel. Where do you get that name, anyway?"_

_The younger girl, with her wild, untamed blond hair and ruby eyes looked the part of a fay(2) from the old tales as she smiled, "That's a secret, _'Syra'_." She said my name with such a tone that it was clear she was humoring me._

"_What do you want this time, anyway? Did you play another trick on father?" I asked accusingly, and she nodded once more, face completely unashamed._

"_Yep, I got him good this time, too!" I shook my head and sighed. Faolan and my father had not gotten along well at all since mother took the girl under her wing. In fact, it seemed as if Faolan's sole reason for being here was to make his life miserable, as she was quite pleasant around everyone in the house... except for father. And she insisted on calling Sert and I Feidel and Fedel, and our mother, Maralein, Feidlimid(3).__Her quirks aside, though, she fit well into the family, though father disliked her for obvious reasons. She lived with us for three years, until mother died._

_That day, she and I had made a promise. _

"_Hey, Fedel, let's make an unbreakable vow!" She had said, an hour or two before mother actually passed on. I blinked, and she continued anyway._

"_Ready?" She had said, before placing her left hand over my right and clasping it tightly, pulling me close to her face with that unusual, monstrous strength she possessed. "When two hands cross~" She sang, "Their owners are avowed~"_

"_Never to let go again~" She smiled, holding my hand tightly, her red eyes dimmer than usual. She knew something I didn't. "No matter what, no matter when, they'll never be alone again~!" She finished her impromptu song. "I'll never forget the time I spent with big sister Fedel, Syra." I had blinked, what was she talking about?_

_When mother died, father wasted no time in looking for her to kick her out of the house. But..._

_When he opened the door to her room, she had already been gone. Her room had been arranged perfectly, and all that was left of her was a small note on her bed that read, __'Never let go again.'_

_I remember running outside, to the nearest gate, just in time to see it shut. I raced up the steps to the rampart of the wall, ignoring the cries of the guards, and saw Faolan walking along the road, into the mist. She stopped and turned, waving to me, before walking into the mist and vanishing from sight._

_

* * *

_

"So you see," Syra spoke, watching the moon outside, "I loved Faolan as much as I loved Sert. She was like a younger sister to me. I wanted to tell her, 'Don't go!' or 'Come back!' But, I couldn't find the courage to say something so brave when father had promised to kick her out anyway... And then father abandoned us and moved to Emain Macha a few days later..."

**'I see...'** I wrote in my journal, but really, I didn't. I had no idea what it felt like to lose a family member, as I knew very little of my past aside from brief glimpses. **'So... you regret... never saying good-bye to her?'**

_'It's never good-bye, Aeria... Never! Just... see you later.'_ I blinked, shaking the memory from my mind as Syra responded. "Yeah, I guess so."

_**We sat in awkward silence for a while after that, until Syra excused herself and went back to bed, leaving my alone in the kitchen with my thoughts. I wondered, then, what it was like to grow so attached to someone, and then be force to part from them without even being able to bid farewell... After a while, I went upstairs too, and this time, even though I had no dreams, I slept a deep sleep, until I was woken by Dawn. The day after formed what would soon become a pattern in my life. I awoke to the dawn, changed, sheathed Eiry, went downstairs to see Syra cooking breakfast, went back upstairs, at which point Eiry woke Sert in the most creative fashion she could think of (everything from putting a water pail under his feet, to trying a mallet to his wrist and tickling his nose). I would, after eating breakfast and occasionally sketching something, train with Aranwen in the morning and spar with her in the afternoon while her students ran drills or sparred with each-other. Occasionally I would spar with a student as well. For the longest of times, I didn't have any dreams.**_

_**Of course, nothing lasts forever... The day the pattern changed, I had a dream. Or, rather, an extended version of a dream I had had before. Details were much clearer this time... So much clearer.**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Above, thunder rumbled ominously and rain poured continuously. I was cold, and wet, and drenched, and water poured down me. Beneath me, the fast rhythm of a well-trained horse threatened to unseat me if I did not hold on, but I held on, clutching the shaft of the spear in my hand tightly. Water threatened to blur my vision, but I blinked furiously, eyes focused on the road ahead._

_Lightning flashed, lighting in minute brilliance, and I turned swiftly to the sound of a carriage's wheels being pulled through mud, and people shouting. My long, white hair blocked my vision, and thunder rumbled ominously as I head the sounds of horses whinnying and the solid crack of the carriage's wheel breaking off. I turned, frantically reining my horse in and rotating to see the carriage tumble off a cliff to the side, both its horses running wild. I screamed, "Amaranthe!" Even as she screamed in turn, from within the carriage, "Aeria!"_

_I dived into the river after her, dropping my spear, heedless of the dark figures approaching us rapidly. I landed in the river, but I held favor with the Lady of the Rivers and Lakes, and so the water carried me to the surface instead of drowning my. I turned and saw the carriage, sinking rapidly into the raging waters, and I turned and swam furiously, rushing to the carriage receding into the water, but then something happened, and I felt a sharp pain in my back, followed by another, and I coughed up blood. My arms lost their strength, and I reached for the carriage as I sunk into the water, reaching for it desperately, as the blood flowing from my mouth tinted the water red._

**Thy wielder of providence be cursed by providence(4).**

_That grim voice echoed in my ears, seeping down into my core, and shaking me as my vision faded to black. And then, there was nothing. For a while, I ceased to dream, but remained conscious, trapped in the limbo of being self-aware, but unable to do anything at all... Not even think._

_

* * *

_

I awoke in a cold sweat, did I just dream... of my own demise? Eiry was at my side, looking at me worriedly, and outside the sky was gray, instead of sunny and fair as it had been the past week. The clouds were cold and gray, and threatened to rain any second. Outside my window sat a large, skinny raven, its eyes a glittering scarlet. That was when the voice of my mother whispered in my ear,

"_There will come a day the Lady sends a Raven to you... Do not fear it, as it has not come for your life, but for you."_ I blinked, shaking my head as the statement made little to no sense. I realized Eiry had spoken, and turned to her concerned face, "Are you alright, Master?"

I nodded. Memory or dream... if it was a memory, it was in the past, and if it was a dream... it was just a dream. What mattered now was moving forward in the present... not looking back at the past. That aside, my movements were still subdued and lethargic as I dressed as, I'm sure you'll agree, no matter how strong your resolve... Dreaming of your own death _scares_ you(5).

I set off downstairs, walking into Sert's rooms and clapping my hands rather loudly to wake him, as I, quite frankly, didn't feel like helping Eiry set up a prank. As he awoke, crying out, "Dang it, Eiry!" I was already leaving the room and heading downstairs.

Syra noticed me immediately, and judged my mood quickly. "Did you have a dream, Aeria?" I nodded mutely as I pulled out my journal and began writing it down in detail... which was easy as, despite my best efforts to the contrary, the dream was still fresh on my mind. I nodded(6), focusing on my writing. As Sert came downstairs and leaned over my shoulder, I dotted my final sentence and snapped the book closed, sliding it into my pack.

"I take it that it wasn't that great of a dream, was it?" Sert asked rhetorically, and I nodded again, standing up and walking to the door, Eiry following me and glancing back at my house-mates, the expression on her face invisible to me, but easy to guess. "Hey, aren't you leaving a bit early? Breakfast isn't-" Sert spoke up, but was interrupted by Syra placing a hand on his shoulder. I waved and stepped out into the sunlight, what little of it there was. The populace of the streets was sparse, and I walked briskly to the school, determined to find something to do that would clear my mind. Sparring with Aranwen was on the top of my list.

"You're early." The aforementioned woman spoke bluntly. "What's bothering you?"

As expected, she saw straight through the facade I was putting up... Probably I was actually trying to maintain an impassive face. Instead of responding, I lifted the shaft of the practice staff from its holdings and took a ready stance in front of Aranwen.

"Looking to clear your mind, then? I can't guarantee it will work, but..." She took a defensive stance, unwilling to risk an offense when I was wielding a weapon with a long reach.

I obliged her and charged, sending the staff straight to her jugular. She batted it aside with practiced ease, having sparred with me many times and learned my habits, and spoke, even as she stepped back to avoid my follow-up, "You're sloppy today."

I over-extended my arm while performing a large sweep with the staff's end, and she proved her point by taking advantage of the opening and ducking under the staff while dashing forward and jabbing my arm-pit with her sword. I jumped back, dropping the staff as I did so and sighed. I couldn't even fight properly anymore. Aranwen merely stood back and watched me silently as I collected the staff and took a stance, before changing my mind and setting the staff back. I walked up to the benches and sat down, staring at the sky above, and noting that the raven from before was sitting on the edge of a nearby roof. To my mild surprise, Aranwen took a seat next to me and sighed, "You know, this would be much easier if you could talk."

'_Wouldn't it?_' I thought, agreeing with her as I nodded.

"So, what's bothering you, exactly?" I turned to her and tilted my head inquisitively, and she elaborated, "You're my student, I'm supposed to worry for you."

'_You're not just my watch-dog, Aeria. You're my friend, of course I worry for you._' Amaranthe...

These words struck a chord in me, somewhere, and, as if a great dam had been released, I began to sob, crying silently, without realizing I had been crying at all until Aranwen spoke, "Aeria, are you alright?"

I found I couldn't respond at all, other than to cover my eyes with my hands in some effort to stem the tears, or at least hide them... though it was fruitless either way(7). I cried uncontrollably, my chest hiccuping though no sound was produced, as my vocal chords were incapable of producing sound. A breeze began to pick up, softly at first, when I first began to cry, and growing fiercer as I grew more emotional, until my hair was flying wildly off to the side. The air was much colder now, as well, but I didn't notice, unable to focus on anything other than the tears streaming from my eyes(8). The wind grew steadily louder in an extended crescendo, until I heard nothing but its howl in my ear, and at the climax the air had grown so cold that ice had actually begun to collect around me... And then, as my tears gradually slowed, the wind faded and the temperature returned to normal.

That was when I noticed what my impromptu fit had wrought. I looked around, rubbing at the lines tears had stained my face with, and saw that the veranda above the courtyard was now, to put it bluntly, a mess. The small tree near my was missing half its leaves, a flag had been torn from it post, and everything was soaked. Next to me, Aranwen was breathing heavily and standing up, moving her hand from the wall she had been using to steady herself. As she stood, she looked at me quizzically. "Feeling better?" Her tone was dry, but without malice.

I nodded.

"Well, I should hope so..." She looked around, "You should be learning from Stewart instead, with that kind of latent potential."

"Well, it would certainly be too dangerous to leave it unchecked." I turned, and there stood a man in red robes, his face adorned by a pair of foldable glasses that hid his soft, gray eyes, and framed with shaggy, blond hair that looked as if he had done his best to tame it.

"Stewart." Aranwen greeted.

"Aranwen." The mage greeted in kind, "I came outside when the storm-shutters of my windows began to well... shudder." He turned to me, and the easy-going smile he had adopted grew gentler. "Now, on to more pressing manners... Are you alright, little one?"

I nodded stiffly, and Aranwen introduced me, "This is Aeria... She's my most excellent student... Though I would have never guessed that she held such potential with magic as well... Martial arts, archery... now magic. Do you have any weak points at all?" She asked rhetorically, and I shrugged in response as Stewart spoke up again. "Hm... A true prodigy, then... I think I remember your name... you learned a bit from Lassar, in Tir Chonaill, right?" At my nod, he continued, "That's right... Lassar mentioned you in one of her letters. You were her star student too... And I find no reason do doubt it, but... just what made you so upset?"

I looked down, and Eiry spoke up beside me, reminding me of her presence, "Come on, Master, tell them!" I looked to her, and saw how worried she was. Her eyes were actually on the verge of tears... truly, Eiry's puppy-dog expression was a force to be reckoned with. I sighed, and pulled out my journal, before beginning to write, idly ignoring Stewart asking why I was writing and Aranwen explaining my condition.

'**I had a dream this morning... Not that it's a rare occurrence, I have dreams often... memories. But this time... I dreamed of my own death. It wasn't peaceful either... I died in the process of saving someone's life... Someone I cared for, and someone that probably died as well... It's not the only dream I've had like this, but I guess it was just too much this time.****'**

"I see... It's amazing you could hold it in so long but, you know... You really shouldn't." Stewart spoke, "Well, I have a class to teach... so I must bid farewell, for now. Come by whenever you like, and I'll give you some pointers."

I nodded, and I realized what my mother had meant, as I looked at the raven on a nearby roof-top. It flew away under my scrutiny. '_Not for my life, but for me... The raven was sent to comfort me... Though I didn't realize it at the time._'

I pointed to the staff, '_-Let's try that spar again, Aranwen.-'_ I didn't notice anything was amiss until Aranwen spoke. "Aeria..."

I turned to her, '-_What?-_'

"Are you talking to me?"

'_-No...-'_

Aranwen continued, "You're not moving your mouth, but I can still hear you..."

I blinked, '-_What? That doesn't make any sense...-'i_

"No, it doesn't." Aranwen agreed with my unspoken, though apparently still audible statement. "Maybe you're doing something with your magic unconsciously?"

'_-Maybe-'_ Though at the time I had no idea, I realized later that Aranwen was correct. My outburst had made my magic more receptive to my demands, and as a result started acting to fulfill my desires without specific direction. Apparently, having a high affinity for wind also allowed me to simulate sound. It also meant I'd have to be careful not to accidentally lash out with my magic. I shrugged, pointing to the staff again. '_-So... shall we have a rematch?-'_

"Sure, I'll beat you this time, too." And with that, the two of use descended into the courtyard, after cleaning up the mess my fit had made, and began to duel in earnest. We ended with an even spread of six to six when Aranwen's students arrived, so technically it was seven to six, the seventh win was because I accidentally used my magic to interrupt one of Aranwen's combos, and I insisted on not counting it. As I walked home, waving at Sert as I passed him to reassure him, I looked up and noticed that the sky looked rather odd. It was still gray, for the most part, but there was a large, jagged line of gold stretching across it, as if someone has split it open. I found it an interesting coincidence that the gray sky above split as my mood improved.

"This is great, Master! Now you're even stronger, and you don't have to write in your journal anymore!" Eiry exclaimed, stretching her arms with her usual enthusiasm regained.

I nodded, smiling a small smile myself, before pausing in front of the door to the Edan house-hold. Hesitantly, I knocked, and I could make out a strained, "Wait a moment!" before Syra opened the door.

"Aeria, feel better now."

I nodded, '_-Much.-'_

She blinked, speaking and trailing off, "Did you just..."

'-_Yes, well... kind of. I'm using magic, somehow. I've been able to do it since earlier...-'_

"Well... That's great! Though you should apologize to Sert, he's a _bit_ upset."

I nodded, '_-I know. In the mean-time, don't you have work to do?-_'

She nodded, "I was just about to head out now.

'_-Alright... Don't let me cause you to be late.-'_ Syra nodded and headed out, and I entered the house, shutting the door behind me. Immediately thereafter, I walked over to the table, pulled out my sketch pad and pencil, and promptly slumped over and fell into unconsciousness without warning(9).

* * *

_I found myself sitting in the plain, stone room lit by its warm, inviting hearth. Across from me, sitting on her stool was my mother, clad in white robes with her face impossible to make out. She was talking to me, and I was listening with rapt attention._

"_Listen carefully, Aeria. Magic is a wonderful ability, and it can do nearly anything you want it to do, but there is a limit to how much you can use your magic. You can only use so much magic before you collapse, just like you can only stay awake so long before going to sleep. If you stay up longer than you should and don't go to bed, your body goes to sleep by itself. The same goes for magic- if you go past your limit, then you go to sleep. Sometimes... You don't wake back up for a long, long time(10). The amount of magic you can use before collapsing is called mana, just like the amount of things you can do before tiring yourself out is called stamina. This may not seem important now, but you should remember... You should never use too much magic, and you should rest for a while without doing anything if you use a lot at once, okay, Aeria?"_

"_Alright mother, I won't." I responded._

"_Alright then, let's explain the different types of magic now... There are eight that we know of, and six we can use, and they are red, blue, green, silver, gold, purple, orange, and teal. None of our mages can use orange or teal magic, but a few other nations can. Understand so far?" I nodded, and she continued. "Each type of magic has a corresponding element- fire, water, earth, air, light, shadow, chaos, and balance respectively. One can only use magic they have an affinity for. You, Aeria, have a major affinity for a gray and blue magic, as well as a minor affinity for gold magic. Which means what?" She asked, checking to see if I had been paying attention._

_I paused, fingering my chin, before smiling and responding, "I can use air and water well, and I can kind of use light." Mother nodded, smiling._

"_Very good," She said, "With air, you can do many things. You can make wind when there is none, speed people up, or slow them down, conjure lightning, and even fly and give others the ability to fly. With water, you can make people heal faster, form ice, or melt it, breathe under water, and even walk on the water's surface. With light, you can make illusions, heal wounds to the point it was as if they were never there, light your own way in the dark, and much, much more, but light isn't a very potent element, so it needs to be used in conjunction with something else..." My vision faded to black as mother went on, describing how elements could be used together to produce unique effects._

_

* * *

_

I awoke to Sert shaking my shoulder, "Hey, you alright?" He asked, worried. Beside him, Eiry floated, her expression mimicking his own. "Eiry here says you collapsed as soon as you sat down..."

I nodded, sitting up straight. '_-I used too much magic earlier today... Sorry for making you worry.-'_

"Well... It's fine as long as you're alright, right?" Sert said, stepping back and sighing with an exasperated expression on his face, before suddenly something clicked to him. "Wait! Did you just _talk_?"

I shook my head, '_-No... I'm passively using air magic to convey my thoughts to you... I'm not sure how, but I've been able to since earlier.-"_

"Okay... I don't really get it, but... if you just collapsed from magic, should you really be using it now?" He asked, concern outweighing confusion and curiosity.

Some words from my mother revealed the answer, _'If you use too much magic, but not so much that you're asleep longer than a day, then you can use small magic safely afterward. In fact, it means you'll be able to use more before running out of mana next time. You should still be careful, but passive spells are fine.'_

I shook my head, '_-The spell doesn't drain very much mana, because it's passive, and I've recovered most of my mana anyway.-'_

"Well, whatever you say..." He trailed off, remaining silent for a while as he took a seat at the table. In mutual silence, we waited for Syra to return, before he spoke up, "Hey, you think... That one time in the dungeon, you did the same thing?"

I thought back, remembering the scream I had let out, and shrugged. '_-Maybe... Maybe it was something different entirely.-'_

"Geeze, magic is so confusing." He whined, and I smiled in response, prompting his mouth to curve into a broad grin and let out a hearty laugh(11).

Eiry looked between us, "I don't get it... What's so funny?"

_**Neither of us answered Eiry's question, and Syra came home shortly afterward. That night I dreamed of my mother sitting on her stool in front of the fireplace, fashioning a tunic from blue and silver cloth. It was a warm dream, and Eiry told me the next day that I had slept with a smile on my face.**_

_**

* * *

**_

**-Author's Note-**

**While Aeria is an exceptionally talented magic user, she also has a hard time controlling her magic (at this point, at least) because wind is so capricious and unpredictable. It responds to her slightest whim, and so she has to be extremely focused in order to make it perform a specific task without doing anything else as well. And no, in game you can't use wind with magic, though you can with alchemy (I think). More than that, Aeria has access to an entirely different style of using magic than the Tuatha da Danaan. Below, after the footnotes, are the key differences. By the way, after this chapter, can anyone PM me and guess why the story's name is Wind and Water? If you can, I'll see if I can grant you a favor (I won't add in any of your characters or make a specific plot, but I might do something similar to the suggestion).**

**I'll only grant one request, and I'll tell you next chapter who it is, if anyone even answers at all.**

**-Footnotes- **

**(1) On Line 2 of Syra's flashback):** Faolan {Fay-oh-lan}- Little Wolf (actually a masculine name).

**(2) On Line 3 of Syra's flashback):** Looking at the pronunciation of her name, this is a pun. A fay is a fairy, or a person of the fairies. Things such as elves, pixies, sprites, etc. Typically the more capricious and (sometimes) enigmatic of beings.

**(3) The first paragraph of Syra's flashback, halfway through):** Fedel and Feidel are both variants of Feidlimid, a unisex name meaning either 'beauty' or 'ever good'.

**(4) The bold text in Aeria's first dream): Possible Spoiler (Depending on how you look at it)-** This is a curse, (duh, captain obvious!) but it's not intended to cause misfortune. Providence, in this case, refers to magic as the ability to channel mana was a gift from the gods/goddesses of Aeria's home-world. In other words its intended to cause a rebound effect, turning the benefits Aeria has from being blessed into negatives, albeit temporarily (she probably would have survived otherwise).

**(5) End of the fifth line after Aeria's first dream):** Personally, I think dreaming about _**being** **in limbo** after dying_ is far scarier than _**dying in the first place**_.

**(6) The fourth paragraph after Aeria's first dream):** I wanted to put 'mutely' here, but decided it'd be too horrible of a pun.

**(7) At Aeria's fit):** Need I remind you... Aeria's eleven years old. Even though she was aware of her memories being gone in the first place, she's still a child, and she's been bottling up the raw emotions that a few choice memories sparked at her, such as fear, horror... sorrow, etc. Dreaming about her own death is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, though she managed to hold it in a little longer afterward.

**(7 Continued):** As for _how_ she caused such destruction with just a fit... She's named after (and blessed by) the Lady of _Storms_. She's in a different realm, so her patron can't actively assist her, but things that don't require active attention are (for the most part) still there. And her affinity for wind and water grows stronger as the weather becomes worse. The Raven wasn't Aeria's (the goddess, Aeria's, that is) doing, but Morrighan's.

**(8) Again, Aeria's fit):** Crying aloud and screaming, wailing, etc. has a therapeutic effect on people. However, Aeria _can't do that_, and so instead, she unconsciously taps into her magic potential. E.g. The wind and chilling of the air is the equivalent to her screams. What, you hadn't guessed she was causing that already? My bad.

**(9) When Aeria collapses just before her second dream):** What? Her style of magic may be much more potent and adaptable than that of the Tuatha da Danaan, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its drawbacks (understatement).

**(10) Aeria's second dream, half-way through the first paragraph of her mother's lecture):** I'm pretty sure you know this, but she's basically saying that if you push yourself too far, you'll die. What's more, you'll die painlessly and without warning as your body simply ceases to function. It's like flipping off the lights, and it's impossible to resuscitate someone whose died from mana exhaustion.

**(11) When Sert laughs, just before the end of the chapter):** After such a day, you'll laugh at the smallest of things.

**-Magic Styles-**

**Tuatha da Danaan**

Anyone can learn.

Used by absorbing magical energy provided by the gods/goddesses when Eweca rises.

When one uses too much magic, they simply cannot use magic until they absorb more energy. Persisting afterward drains their stamina (not canon, I don't think).

**Aeria**

Only priests/priestesses and the blessed can learn.

Used by channeling magical energy inside oneself. The ability to do so is provided by a god/goddess.

When one uses too much magic, they die painlessly and without warning.

**-Character Profiles-**

Been a while since we've seen one of these, eh?

**Name: Faolan**

**Appearance:** Her curly, tangled blond hair is as golden as the sun, and reaches down to the ends of her shoulder blades. Her eyes are crimson, and eerily similar to the eyes of Sert and Syra. She wears a brown, leather dress under a white over-shirt and leather boots.

**Other Information:** She appeared without explanation at the door of the Edan's home and Maralein (the mother of Syra and Sert) took her in after discovering that the girl had no where else to go to. Faolan loved to harass the twins' father and insisted on calling the twins and their mother by alternate names for unexplained reasons. A boyish, energetic youth, Faolan became very close to Syra and Sert the three years she knew them, but this only made their parting two years ago more painful.


	8. When You Chase the Clouds

**Wind and Water Chapter VIII: When You Chase the Clouds**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: I'll leave it up to the readers to find out where the chapter titles come from from now on. No sharing.**

**The question was answered relatively quickly this time, but then I think I made it a bit easy. Next time I'll be sure to pick something hard. Congratulations to xHeliX.**

Ne?- Right?

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

_**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears **_**i****n story)  
Exposition- Restating the most recent events of the prior chapter.**

_'Thinking' '-Telepathy-'_

Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

* * *

_I found myself on a broad, frozen waste. The sky above me was black, but there was no moon, and the world was lit as if in broad day-light. And I could not feel the chill about me, either. Nearby, a cliff's edge overlooked a vast, desolate city. It's not as if the city was ruined... It was just empty. Of life, of love, of dreams. This was a dead place, fit for none but the dead. And I lay as if dead against a large, circular grave-marker, my sword planted in the ground beside me, crossing with me spear. I lay there for a long time, staring at bizarre, red clouds drifting by above, though they left no shadows. I don't know how long I sat there, watching the clouds and dwelling on things long since come to pass, but eventually, a light appeared... a star, in the darkness above. Gradually, it grew larger, and I stared at it, curiously, as it became more prominent. And then, it seemed to come to rest above me. "What's this?" A voice asked, resonating throughout the waste, "Such a precious gem, laying here in the ash by the river..."_

_Without thinking, I stood and reached for the light, and it grew infinitely larger, filling my vision and blinding me..._

* * *

I awoke, thoroughly confused by my dream. My expression was bewildered as I dressed, and Eiry hovered at my side, "Are you alright, Master?"

'-_Fine-'_ I responded as I dressed, '_-Last night's dream was just... Confusing.-'_

"Hm... Well, I'm sure Master will figure it out!" The little spirit said, her face and voice filled with the utmost confidence in my ability.

I nodded, it was impossible to become disheartened when looking at such an optimistic face (1). As I dressed, I recalled last night's dream.

I blinked, clearing my mind, and without further ado, I set out downstairs, pausing beside Sert's door long enough for Eiry to shout, "Fomor invasion!" causing the red-headed swordsman to jump out of bed in a panic before concluding it was another of Eiry's pranks. I continued down the stairs to see Syra had already finished breakfast, "You slept in a bit today, Aeria."

I gave a small nod, '-_I had another dream.-'_

"Really?" She asked, "About what?"

'_-Sitting in an empty field of snow, and bright light.-'_

"Hm..."

'-_There was also a cliff overlooking a large, desolate city.-'_

Syra scratched her head, "Ah.. I have no idea what it could be about."

I gave her a small, minute nod as I sat down and looked out the window, lost in my own thoughts. For some reason, Syra and Sert had passed off my dream of my death as an ordinary nightmare... as I obviously wasn't a ghost. I, however, knew I was dreaming of my past life, not my past, which led to my conclusion that I had just dreamed of limbo. And, apparently, someone had pulled me from it, before Nao had pulled me from it.

I shifted my attention from my dream as I finished writing it in my note-book, and instead focused on eating my food as Sert came down the stairs. Eiry spoke up from my sad, "Wow, master! That's the fastest I've ever seen you write!"

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I shrugged. Our meal passed in companionable silence, and that silence remained unbroken until I set my fork down and stood up, heading for the door and beckoning Eiry from her place, floating around Sert and teasing him by becoming insubstantial whenever he swatted at her. Together, we set off to the school, first to spar with Aranwen for an hour or so, and then to attend one of Stewart's lectures when Aranwen's students started filtering in. Unfortunately, Stewart's lecture was centered around a book that I didn't have, so I didn't learn much.

"You shouldn't worry about not having the book." Stewart said, addressing me just after the last of his students left the room. "It's the Book of Fireball, and no store sells it. You can only obtain it by collecting the pages from monsters... That aside, you excel at lightning and ice magic, do you not? You should focus on finding the Books of Ice Spear and Thunder."

I nodded to him, '-_Alright... I will. I'll watch for the pages the next time I find myself in a dungeon.-'_ I didn't tell him I planned to leave Dunbarton soon. I was still thinking on where I would go next, but it didn't seem like there was much left to learn here. At best, I could learn three more spells from Stewart, but that would involve collecting the pages to the advanced spell books... which required me to leave Dunbarton anyway.

Stewart nodded to me and spoke, reminding me that I was still in his classroom, "Alright... is anything the matter? You seem a bit distracted..."

'_-No, nothing really. Just thinking.-'_ I assured him as I left the room. Where to next? As I wondered about aimlessly, I found myself ascending to the small overlook the church was situated on. I walked to the edge of the stone rise and sat, legs hanging over the edge, watching the city below. "Spring has nearly come to pass. The flowers have begun to wither and die. Where in this world is the last flower? When will it too wither?" I turned to the voice and saw Kristell was standing nearby, hands clasped behind her back. She looked down at me with her pink eyes, causing me to tilt my head in confusion. '_-Why aren't you in the chapel?-'_

"Contrary to popular belief, there isn't much to do for a priestess in the chapel. Once your daily chores are done, you're left with nothing to do but sit and reflect. I simply prefer to be outside... It's a nice view, isn't it?"

I nodded, '-_It is. You don't seem surprised I can 'speak' with you.-'_

She smiled a small smile that could have represented any out of a large variety of emotions. "I'm harder to surprise than most people. What are you doing up here by yourself?"

'-_What else would I be doing? I'm thinking.-'_

"About?" She inquired.

'-_Things... Memories, dreams... Decisions.-'_

"I see... Whatever you decide to do, burn this moment into your memory. It will never happen again."

I nodded, standing up and taking in the city. Before my eyes the walls grew further apart, the buildings higher, and the streets cleaner. The gardens grew more graceful, and the people more numerous. The sky became a more vibrant shade of orange, mixing with pink as the sun set. It was a magnificent sight, and then I blinked, and it was gone. '-_I'll be going then, Kristell.-'_

"Don't get lost on your way home." She spoke. Even though I couldn't see the priestess, I could feel her unblinking eyes following me down the stairs.

"Master." Eiry spoke, floating over my shoulder, "Don't worry about getting lost. I'll point you home if you do." I nodded, smiling halfheartedly. The little spirit beside me probably didn't understand half of what transpired in the conversation I had just had with the priestess. I waited until that evening before gathering my things and slipping out in the night. I made it to the gate when a voice halted me. "Are you really leaving them behind?"

I turned to see Nao standing in the moonlight, near to the door of the house I had been staying at. '_I have to start my journey sooner or later, right? I've learned all I can from the people here.'_

"Then let me give you one final lesson in this city... You harbor the soul of a hero, but you are still a child. Don't waste your childhood away again." She walked up to me, placing a silver belt buckle adorned with a complex knot into my hands. "The decision is yours to face the fomors. As much as I'm loathe to admit it... the fomors may decide to face _you. _They're slipping through the cracks appearing in the seal, so be careful. There will be others akin to you – only a few – but you are still unique among them all. Two of them are living in Taillteann. One of them wanders the countryside. If you're going to tackle the fomorian army so quickly, you'll need their help. We'll meet again, alright?" She vanished, almost melting into the moonlight.

"Hey Aeria! Where do you think you're going?" Seconds after Nao disappeared, Sert emerged from the house, Syra in toe.

'_-To face the fomors, as I was brought here to do.-'_ I responded simply.

"And you're just going to leave without a word? I can help, you know."

"You know Aeria, you're not alone anymore." Syra added. Her statement struck a chord in me, as I remembered when someone else said those exact words to me... before dying.

_'-I can understand Sert coming but... Syra, you should stay.-'_

"But.." Syra started, only for Sert to cut in.

"I agree with her... You're just not cut out for it, Syra. We've been training for this sort of thing day in and day out... you've been living your life like a normal person... I don't think either of us wants to take that away from you."

"But-" Syra started again, only for _me_ to cut her off.

'_-Who's going to take care of the house? Who's going to welcome us home when we return?-'_

Sert added onto my argument shortly thereafter. "Yeah, I can't imagine Dunbarton without you... If you come with us, I won't have any reason to go back when all's said and done."

I stepped forward and took both twins' hands in my own. "_**Let's make a promise... When hands crossed over each-other... their owners will always remember the warmth they shared that day.**_"

At this point, Syra was speechless, and I took the opportunity to step back, Sert following me. '-_We won't leave you alone, okay? Keep waiting for us to return, and we will.-'_ Hesitantly, she nodded. With that, Sert and I left Dunbarton, the gates shutting behind us. I glanced back and smiled, one last time, to Syra as the gates swung shut. With a halfhearted wave of farewell, she was obscured from view.

"So where to?" Sert asked as we started walking. Apparently he couldn't take the silence very long.

'-_Taillteann.-'_ I answered, starting off to the northwest.

"Master..." Eiry spoke, "Why aren't you crying?"

I didn't answer for a while, continuing to walk, Sert behind me, as tears were held back in my eyes. I never said it, but at that time I felt that if I did start to cry... it would really be 'good-bye', not 'see you later.'

Under the solemn gaze of the stars, we started our journey... this time, for real.

* * *

**-Author's Note- **

**I wanted to make this longer, but felt that it would ruin the chapter.**

**-Footnotes-**

**(1):** Warning: Double edged-sword. If Eiry actually became disheartened...


	9. Far Across the Sky

**Wind and Water Chapter IX: Far Into the Sky**

**Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.**

**A/N: Okay, so I already know that VIII was basically just a filler chapter. It's the best I could come up with to get Aeria out of Dunbarton as planned because, really, I can't see a way to move the Plot forward in the way I want to if she stays. Sorry for the delay, I was at camp and couldn't really write at all.**

**For those of you concerned that I'm characterizing Aeria too fast... the Aerias of the past and the Aeria of the present are different people. Aeria, as she is now, is a girl with a fragmented memory and a tenuous sense of identity that she's trying to come to terms with, along with her given responsibilities... and I'm doing an alternate continuity / rewrite anyway. This version will occasionally be updated, but I'll be focusing on the other.**

Ne?- Right?

"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"

_**Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears **_**i****n story)  
Exposition- Restating the most recent events of the prior chapter.**

_'Thinking' '-Telepathy-'_

Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.

_Flashback, Memory, and Similar._

_"While in flashback, this is speaking."_

'While in flashback, this is thinking.'

Abb Neagh was a broad valley with a lake in its lower portion. The grass was green and wildflowers were abundant. Several animals – wolves, boars, foxes, and raccoons, were sighted, but none of them noticed Sert and I walking along the road. The sun had just risen a short time ago as we paused to eat breakfast. "Hey, Aeria..." Sert spoke, "What do you mean you were brought here to stop the Fomors? I mean..."

I shifted uncomfortably. How could I explain to Sert my circumstances? That I was not dreaming of events from my childhood, but from a past life? That I wasn't, really, human like he was, but a soul brought forth from the void in a body crafted from the aether?

"Master said she was brought here to stop the fomors, so Master means that she was brought here to stop the fomors!" Eiry chirped, having regained her usual cheer.

"That's not what I meant, Eiry." Sert responded, looking to me in bewilderment, "It's her choice of words that's bugging me..."

'-_I... don't remember anything else before showing up in Tir Chonail... I've had a recurring dream of a heavenly woman asking me to help stop the fomors... So...-'_ I spoke in response, unable to tell the true story as I originally intended.

"I see..." Sert said in response, before shrugging and leaning back, arms crossed, legs folded, "Well, I don't care. Whatever reason you're here, I'm your friend. I'll be along to watch you."

I nodded, looking out over to the lake, unable to face him.

We continued after that, walking through the sunny, picturesque scenery of Abb Neagh, careful to avoid attracting in danger. Eventually, we left the lake behind us and entered into a forest, and then passed out of that as night fell. We were in sight of Taillteann now... It came upon us as a surprise – we exited the forest and there it was. Taillteann was similar to Dunbarton in that both were surrounded by farms and walled, but Taillteann was made of... browner... stone and guarded much more heavily.

"So," Sert started after an uncharacteristic period of silence, "Any idea what we're looking for and where to find it?"

'-_Two people... Don't know where they are.-' _I responded, mentally adding 'or what they look like.' We passed the guards at the gate without incident, receiving a simple nod from each of them. The kind that says, 'We're watching you if you find trouble to make. Come to us if trouble finds you.'

The city was built on a hill, and it showed, given the way the road meandered along and branched at random. Taillteann, I decided, was not a very planned out town. It looked like it had just been thrown together hurriedly within the walls.

...Not that it was cramped or anything of the sort. It just didn't seem to follow any sort of general order.

We searched through the town as night fell and found out, to our dismay, that Taillteann didn't have an inn or tavern... Which meant we'd be sleeping in the streets... Sert remained insistent we'd find somewhere to stay, but I had already decided it was a fruitless effort and simply sat down, leaning against one of the houses bordering the town square. With a sigh, Sert sat down beside me. We sat that way for about half an hour until I noticed something strange... There was a small, wooden puppet, no bigger than my hand, standing in the middle of the square jumping up and down. I glanced to my side to see Sert was already asleep, before jabbing him in the side with Eiry's hilt. He awoke with a slight start, and I'd had to muffle his scream to keep him from waking the whole town. I pointed at the doll and stood up, my companion mirroring me. At my attention the doll stopped jumping and made an about face... glancing back to watch me. '-_I think it wants us to follow.-'_

Sert palmed his face, "If you were anyone else I would've just ignored it and gone to sleep, you know?"

In response, I merely shrugged, setting off toward the doll, Sert following. The doll, upon confirming I was following, set off at a brisk pace surprising for so small a figure. It led us to a small house on the edge of town, the door of which opened at our approach. From within stepped a girl somewhere between mine and Sert's age, though closer to the latter. Her hair was black and cut short, her eyes an unusual shade of violet that seemed to reflect the light slightly. The girl bent and collected the doll, which sat on her shoulder. "You need somewhere to sleep... Right?"

At my obligatory nod, she stepped out of the doorway, "Come in, then."

Sert placed his hand on my shoulder, only to remove it after receiving a sidelong glance. I entered the dim, poorly lit house and he followed. It was a simple affair... The house was wide with two stories to it, the first being a single room, and the second no doubt serving for residence. The first floor was covered in sawdust and various other powdery substances I couldn't identify. All around there were various wooden handicrafts; dogs, birds, lizards, dragons – everything you could think of. It was a room full of shelves that were covered in string less puppets. In the far corner next to a simple looking chair was an assortment of carving supplies and something beneath a tarp. "Sorry for the mess." Our enigmatic benefactor inserted, "I only just woke up, and had little time before the little one here," She motioned to the doll on her shoulder, "...brought my attention to you." She finished. "There's a room upstairs and to the right you can use... the unmarked one." The girl, eyes continuing to reflect the light oddly, set off to the chair in the corner and lit a candle. "I'll be down here, working on some of my projects."

"Aren't you going to go back to bed... It's the middle of the night." Sert inquired.

"No." The girl responded simply, picking up a small knife and rubbing it against a whetstone.

Sert looked to me, and I shrugged in response. _'Is this how people feel around me?'_ I wondered. My companion vanished up the stairs, apparently making good of the as yet unnamed girl's offer of a bed. I opted to sit on the stairs and watch the girl, who had become supremely focused on sharpening the knife she was holding. The stone slid across the blade with a high pitch, again and again. As the girl's arms rubbed it against the edge of the short length of steel, her motions became smoother and steadier, almost hypnotic in their artfulness. And then, she deemed the knife sharp enough and placed the whetstone aside before uncovering the covered object... It was an enormous doll, the same size as the girl. The face and basic features had already been carce roughly, and the girl began to work carefully on the joints... As she did so, I noticed that the joints ended in balls that were placed carefully in sockets, and realized abruptly she was carving a giant _puppet_. To what end she carved, I had no idea, as the puppet was surely too large to be manipulated properly.

It was at that thought I remembered the doll that led me here. The small, feminine thing had moved seemingly of its own accord, with no visible strings whatsoever. The girl had apparently made that doll, so she was probably trying to replicate it on a larger scale. Slowly the doll was fashioned into the vague shape of the girl carving it. A pair of eyes were carved out... or rather, a pair of eye sockets were carved out, and a pair of small wooden orbs then placed within. The speed of the whole process that would surely take anyone else days held me captivated as the girl worked, heedless of my observation.

"_**...!"**_ A wordless cry filled my ears, startling me with its sudden intensity. Briefly, blurry image was superimposed over the girl at work, so undefined I couldn't identify it at all. **_"...!"_** With another cry, it vanished, leaving me wondering. As the image faded, I noticed the girl was now facing me, having ceased working on the puppet. She tilted her head, "Are you alright?" I could hear concern in her voice... as well as a myriad display of other emotions I couldn't identify at all.

I nodded, not wanting to bother someone her wasn't used to me with my oddities. I don't know why I thought I would bother her. Something inside me told me to be careful. Outside, thunder rumbled suddenly as lightning split the sky, causing me to notice it had been raining steadily for some time now. I glanced out the window, watching the rain strike the streets, dimly lit by sheltered, oil lamps. As the girl looked on, I stared into the rain, seeing my personal demons take form and dance about in the rising mist, taunting me. Some I recognized. Some I did not. Some I had dreamed of before, some I must have imagined...

_Children dance about in the street, holding hands in a ring and hopping about. They vanished, replaced by monsters, things more terrifying than I could describe. Impossibly formed with odd limbs and heads, they paraded about, brushing against the window and threatening me before they two vanished. In their place armored men appeared, fighting brutally. One slit another's throat just outside the window, and blood sprayed out, staining the window, when suddenly lightning struck, jumping from one to another – almost at random. They fell, convulsing unnaturally, as a cloaked figure stepped onto the field of battle._

_Another strike of lightning, ten times more ferocious than the last. So potent I jumped back..._ I stared at the open window, stunned and shivering. The visions had grown from simple illusions of the rain into a full experience. I could see the grass of the field they fought on, the mountains in the distance. Everything around me was a blur, the grass at my side dotted with blood. Suddenly the grass was set ablaze and became the burning floor of a building. Smoke filled the air and the window in front of me was cracked and covered in flames. They were all about me, accusing faces and twisted laughter reaching my ears. I reeled... and then... I screamed as the fire licked my limbs menacingly.

"_...Ria!"_ Someone called, but their voice I did not recognize. I curled into a ball as the fire left, leaving an ash-filled building, burned out completely. Rubble lay all around, I was half buried. I lay there as ash fell like snow from the sky, shivering. Above, through the broken roof of the building, the sky was not gray... It was white. So stark and brilliant as ash fell from above, forming a cold blanket that soothed the pain of my burned flesh. _"...Ria!"_ Someone called, but I paid them no heed, turning my attention to something in the front yard of the building. A girl around my age, shadowed and unrecognizable, was digging frantically through the rubble. She jumped back in shock as she exposed a skeletal hand. Draped over its limp, blackened fingers was a singed hair ornament. A water lily. _"Aeria!"_ Someone called. I recognized their voice. As the unknown girl bent to the hair ornament, sobbing, everything shimmered and blurred like watercolors until I was laying on the floor of the doll-maker's house, staring into the rain through an open window. Sert was bent over my prone form, Eiry hovering over him. Nearby, the girl who had took us in also knelt, concerned. I brought my hand to my face, and noticed how it was unmarred, and then let it fall back down.

"Aeria!" "Master!" Eiry and Sert shouted simultaneously, "Are you alright?"

I didn't reply, my mind wondering at the previous events. How had I become so absorbed into that vision? So completely drawn in that I had even lost my sense of identity. It was almost as bad as the Void. I shivered.

_'-It... It was just another dream... Don't worry.-'_ I told them, trying in vain to reassure them.

"Just a dream?" Sert exclaimed, "You call that a dream? More like a waking nightmare, there's no way you're fine after that."

Just as I started to formulate a response, Sert read my expression. "You _screamed_, Aeria. I'm surprised that the rest of the city isn't here knocking on the door."

_'But...'_ I was cut off again.

"Master..." Eiry said, "Maybe you should look around more thoroughly."

I complied, looking closer around the room. I was curled up in the middle of the room in the fetal position; something I hurriedly corrected as I stood and took in the rest of the room beyond my companions... It was a mess. The window was blown out, the various manikins that had been laying about were all at odd angles (though intact somehow). The puppet-carver herself was missing her knife... which was embedded in the window-pane. The door was open, and... were those scorch marks surrounding me? On top of all _that_ I noticed my companions were soaked.

It looked like there had been an indoor thunderstorm. I found myself empathizing with Sert's surprise... why hadn't the entire square woken up?

'_-...Sorry.-'_ I apologized to the girl. '-_I wrecked your house.-'_

She shook her head, "It's fine... More importantly... why did you have such a fit?"

I noted she wasn't particularly surprised by my way of talking. '_-For some reason... my magic's really unstable. Whenever I'm distressed it goes out of control.-'_

"...I see." She said. At that moment, someone stormed into the room through the open door, carrying a battle short sword and an ordinary short sword. He was dressed in a dark teal cloak that didn't seem to hinder his movements at all. His hair was black and swept to one side, much like Ranald's, but it didn't cover half his face, only his eyebrow.

"Hime-sama what happened?" He asked urgently, "Who are they?"

Upon being called 'Hime,' the girl flinched, eyes narrowing a bit in agitation before returning to normal at the rest of the boys sentence. "They're house-guests, and Aeria here just had a nightmare. Apparently, her magic is unstable and goes out of control whenever she's distressed, so..." She trailed off.

"So she wrecked the room during a nightmare."

The girl nodded.

"You're all uninjured."

She nodded again.

"Well... this is awkward."

She nodded.

"Alright... I'm Aldaron." He said, sheathing his blades and rubbing the back of his head. I noticed, with the shifting of his robe, that he had a bow on his back, along with a quiver of arrows.

The girl spoke this time, "I'm Seimei... Sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

"Sertelein." Sert said from his position, "Though I prefer just being called Sert."

'-_Those belt buckles...-'_ I noted. They were each wearing the same belt buckle I was. They noticed after I pointed it out.

"Ah!" Aldaron exclaimed, "You have one too! Does that mean you-" I cut him off, surging forward and covering his mouth. A simple nod was all I needed to give him in response. After I was sure he wasn't going to continue, and ignoring the quizzical looks I was getting from everyone around me, I removed my hand from his move and stepped back.

"Well... you think these are the two we're looking for, Aeria?" Sert questioned, and I nodded.

"Hm..." Aldaron said, surveying the room, "...I think we were looking for you, as well."

"The girl lost in her own private storm." Seimei noted.

I didn't respond, thinking back on my nightmare. A memory? I was viewing it from a third person perspective, though... It seemed more like some sort of twisted parody of all the things I've experienced thus far. That's what it had to be.

If it were an actual piece of my past, I think I might go insane.

"Master," Eiry said, and I glanced to her, "Let them touch my hilt."

I nodded, removing the sheathe from its place and holding it out to them. '_-Touch it.-'_ I instructed and, after exchanging a silent conversation with each other, they each placed a hand on the hilt... and stumbled back in surprise upon Eiry materializing in front of them.

"Hiya Third, Fourth! I'm Eiry, the spirit of Aeria's sword." The chipper pixie introduced herself as the pair before her recovered themselves.

"Ah... Well, that's not what I expected to happen." Aldaron, being the first to recover, spoke. Beside him, Seimei nodded.

"She reminds me of Chisai." The violet-eyed girl toned in.

"Chisai?" Eiry questioned, and Aldaron pointed to the small doll on Seimei's shoulder.

"Her alchemical doll. She insists it's alive." The boy explained, and winced when Seimei swatted his head.

"Chisai is alive. Just wait until I finish..." The girl trailed off, abruptly realizing something. "...I'm probably not going to be able to finish it for a while, huh?"

I looked over to the large puppet Seimei had been carving. It looked ready to me. Ignoring Aldaron's warning signs, I asked, '_-What's not done about it?-'_

"Well," Seimei started, "...the joints are still kind of stiff and rough, the wood hasn't been enhanced to make it more durable yet, the fingers are still clumsy, the hidden weapons compartments are still missing their weapons..." Seimei trailed off, listing various small errors and imperfections, topping everything off with, "...and it still lacks a seal so I can transfer Chisai to it."

"So... how long will it take to let it move around?" Sert asked.

"Oh, it can move, it's just a bit stiff and unrealistic." Seimei responded, and I took the opportunity to pose my own question.

_'-How long will it take to enhance the wood and apply the seal?-'_

"...Probably about an hour, why?" She asked and, Aldaron, seeing where I was going, posed the last question to her.

"Then why not enhance the wood, apply the seal, and finalize things as we go?" He didn't even discuss whether or not he and Seimei would be leaving with us. It was a decision the two had already made, apparently.

"Well... Actually, I can do that." Seimei said, before hurrying over to begin etching small glyphs into the puppet's body.

Everyone watched, slightly bemused, as the girl rushed and fussed over the puppet before, finally, she had created the complex primary seal on the base of its neck. Placing her hands in front of it, the room seemed to darken, the light rushing to dance about before Seimei's hands like a group of large fireflies. Within the ring the lights formed, floated Seimei's doll, which now glowed blue. Suddenly, with a jolt, the blue aura around the doll turned into a spark and raced into the seal on the back of the puppet.

As Seimei lowered her hands and looked at the puppet nervously, its wooden eyes clicked open beneath the visor of the helm Seimei had put on it to conceal its baldness, and it stood and promptly walked over to Aldaron and sucker punched him, knocking him back several feet.

"I guess I deserved that.." He said weakly.

"Well," Sert said, "...it's nice that Chisai here is mobile, but we should all probably get some sleep before we set out tomorrow."


End file.
